Pokemon: Like No One Ever Was
by Darth Marc 0720
Summary: On Ash's 10th birthday, he embarks on a journey as a new Pokemon Trainer. But his first day goes sideways when he wakes up late, and his older brother, Red, joins him on his new adventure. A different take on Pokemon using all generations, regions, and movies, with Ash and Red. The battling system and Pokemon League are changed, too. Start at the beginning to avoid confusion.
1. Pokemon Prologue

Pokémon: Like No One Ever Was

Prologue

(Insert 'World of Pokémon' music here)

Welcome to the world of Pokémon! Dazzling and amazing creatures that inhabit the planet alongside humans, there are hundreds that we know of, but potentially thousands that we don't. With personalities and traits that make every one unique.

Living side by side with humans, we improve our lives be it building, teaching, researching, traveling, or any dozens of other ways. Pokémon professors study everything to do with Pokémon: behavior, habitats, migration, you name it. Pokémon breeders spend their time nurturing, evolving, and helping them find and start families of their own. And then there are Pokémon trainers: people who have the Pokémon that they've caught battle other trainers. The best are known as Pokémon Masters.

Today, our adventure starts with Ash Ketchum from Pallet town. From a young age, all he desired was to be a Pokémon Master, and learn as much about battling as he does about Pokémon themselves. On his upcoming 10th birthday, he can claim a Pokémon of his own, and embark on a journey to see the world and challenge other trainers.

Our story begins the night before his 10th birthday, at home, upstairs in his room.

Ash is watching a rerun of the previous years' Indigo League qualifiers on his tablet, daydreaming of one day standing in the Hall of Champions as a Pokémon Master. When the episode ends, he becomes aware of an argument downstairs between his mom, Delia, and his older brother, Red. There had been arguments every night for the last week, but Ash hadn't paid any attention to it, as he'd been consumed with his decision on which starter Pokémon he would choose: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. This night, however, the argument had raised several decibels, and Ash could hear it clearly.

"…news, the world is not that dangerous. He doesn't need a babysitter, and I should be training for the League! Why do you insist on debating this with me?!" Red said. Ash crept out of his room to the railing of the staircase. His mom retorted, "You watch your tone, Red. You may be a young man but I am still your mother. As I've said before, Ash doesn't have the same experience you did before you became a trainer, not since the League changed the rules." There was a deathly silence. Ash never knew why but whenever someone mentioned the Pokémon League rules or how it was previously run, Red would get close-mouthed and angry, and Delia became sad.

"I have to follow the League rules, but I don't have to follow YOURS mother!," Red spoke with venom in his voice. Delia was taken aback. Ash had never heard Red speak to his mom that way before. "Your fear of storms, deadly wild Pokémon, disease, and even those Rocket hoodlums are blown far out of proportion. I knew less about the world at 10 than Ash does now and managed well for myself. I have spent an eternity waiting to get back into the Pokémon League and I will not be turned aside this close to victory because you want me to play bodyguard!" Delia started to tear up.

"Red, you are the most gifted Pokémon trainer I've ever met. You've become a strong young man, capable of handling the worst that this world can put in your path. Ash can't. And I don't want him to be crushed somewhere unsafe on his journey the way you were at the League. He's your brother. Why won't you just help him get to a well-rounded level where he doesn't need you?" As the tears started falling, Ash came down the stairs and hugged his mother tightly. Silence fell again. Delia and Red stood shocked knowing that Ash had heard the argument. Finally, Red turned and left the house, heading to Professor Oak's Ranch which was close by.

"Mom, are we going to be okay?" "You are going to be fine, Ash," Delia said as she bent to his level and looked him in the eyes. "I will too. I'm your mother, that's my job." She wiped the tears away. "Red, well…when he lost at the League he took it exceedingly hard. Much of what used to make him happy was lost at the same time, too. She smiled at him. "One of my greatest wishes is that he can recover that happiness someday. Of course, that's outdone by my wish that the two of you will always be safe." "Okay mom." "Now, you have a big day tomorrow, and you should be well rested for it. So back to bed you go", she kissed him on his head, "and dream of better days ahead."

Ash went back upstairs to his room. As he lay down to sleep, the argument was soon forgotten in his excitement for what would happen tomorrow once he chose his first Pokémon.

Red reached Oak's Ranch quickly on bicycle. Stopping alongside the pen where his Pokémon would gather, he spoke into the darkness. "We may have to make some changes to our plan, my friends."


	2. The Journey of A Thousand Miles

Pokémon: Like No One Ever Was

Chapter 1: The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Ash Ketchum awoke to sunlight blinding him in the face, which meant that it was well past 8 o'clock in the morning, the time he was supposed to be at Professor Oak's Research Lab to choose his starting Pokémon. He looked at his Voltorb clock and saw that he'd never set the alarm. In a panic, Ash leapt out of bed, ran downstairs and out the door. He made it 20 feet before he realized he was still in his pajamas. Deciding it was better to be dressed than more late, he grudgingly went back inside, changed attire, grabbed his bag, and took a nutrient bar to snack on while he ran back to Professor Oak's Lab.

When he was almost at the Lab he noticed a crowd of people and some Pokémon gathered around the entrance. It seemed like half the town had shown up, though he didn't know why. Making his way through the crowd, he noticed that most of the noise had come from a cheerleading team who were chanting "Gary". Gary was Professor Oak's second grandson, and to Ash, had always seemed a bit of a snob. Most of the town was hoping that he would be their next claim to fame.

Gary was standing alongside the cheerleading team with a wide grin on his face, clearly reveling in his expanding fame. Upon noticing Ash he spoke aloud, "Well, look who finally showed up". Now eyes were focused on Ash; and he was getting more attention than he'd ever received in his life.

"You got your first Pokémon? Which one did you choose" Ash asked excited. "As someone who showed up on time, I got to pick the best Pokémon, one of the perks of having a Professor as a grandfather. And unlike you, Ash, I'm going to be a Pokémon Master." Angered, Ash responded, "I'm going to be a Pokémon Master, Gary! I'll be even better than you!" "Not a chance, Ash. Pokémon Masters show up on time. And I'll be well on my way before you get your Pokémon", Gary retorted smugly. His cheerleading team began their chant again, bringing the crowd into a roar of support.

A flock of Hoothoots suddenly emerged from the nearby trees and began using Gust and Peck on the crowd. They'd obviously been awoken and angered by the noise and wanted retribution. The crowd dispersed quickly, and Ash bolted to the doors of the Lab to avoid becoming one of their targets. "What's all the commotion out there?" came the familiar voice of Professor Oak as Ash closed the door behind him. "Some Hoothoots were upset by Gary's enthusiastic posse." Professor Oak sighed in annoyance. "Honestly, that boy…"

"Um, Professor, I'm ready to get my first Pokémon." Oak looked at Ash. "Pokémon trainers show up on time, Ash," he spoke, unknowingly mimicking Gary. The two of them walked up to the starter podium, which opened at their presence. "I've given it a lot of thought, and decided that Squirtle will be my Pokémon!" Ash picked up the Pokeball for Squirtle, but when it opened it was empty. He put the ball back. "That Pokémon went to a trainer who was here at the correct time." Not put off his stride, Ash picked up the next Pokeball. "Then I'll choose Bulbasaur!" The Pokeball opened, but was empty as well. He put it back. "Same story, Ash." "No matter, my Pokémon will be Charmander!" The Pokeball opened, but it too was empty. "All the Pokémon went to trainers who weren't late," Oak scolded. Ash put Charmander's ball back, standing dejected.

Oak only had the three Pokémon, and trainers couldn't start their journey without one. Gary's taunt was suddenly more insulting. Ash thought of asking Red for a starting Pokémon, but that was risky. All of Red's Pokémon were well-trained, and exceptionally powerful. League Regulations state that a trainers' first Pokémon had to be untrained so the two could learn together. Novice trainers with strong Pokémon could get expelled from the League, something Ash was unwilling to risk.

Oak interrupted Ash's musings with a cough. I do have another Pokémon you could use, but it has a problem. "I'll take it!" Ash interjected, ecstatic that he still had a chance. A fourth Pokeball rose from the center of the podium, which Oak took and handed to Ash. "I'm warning you, it has…an electric personality."

Ash opened the Pokeball…and a yellow mouse appeared on the podium. "Its name is Pikachu, and," Oak started, but Ash picked up Pikachu and hugged it. "Pikachu?! Hi. My name is Ash, and I'm your trainer!" Pikachu emitted a large electric current into Ash until he let go and fell onto the floor. "Shocking behavior, wouldn't you agree?" "No puns…please," Ash managed to squeak out.

"As I was saying, Pikachu here is not like typical starter Pokémon. It has no training and no interest in following a trainer. I found it alone in the grass outside the ranch, which is odd because they typically stay in groups. But considering its stubborn nature, it makes sense." Ash got up off the floor. Pikachu looked around the Lab with silent curiosity. "Do you have your belt with you?" Oak prompted. "Yeah, I have it in my bag." Ash withdrew the Pokebelt, one of the better additions to updated League rules.

A Pokebelt was the normal means of holding onto trainers' Pokeballs, but variations existed for being worn on the chest, legs, and even arms. The belt had six holders as the standard model and twelve for the updated model. The extra holders came as a response to the desire for regional and global Pokémon battles. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos were all separate regions of the same continent. An archipelago, Alola, had been accepted into the Pokémon League last year. Each region had Pokémon that never migrated, which had brought trainers a new problem when competing in another region.

When trainers traveled to a new region to compete in the local Pokémon League, they were required to start their journey with new Pokémon, specific to that region. As you can imagine, the change up was problematic, as trainers would challenge each other at the transport stations, only to end up having experienced Pokémon battling the new, inexperienced ones. The update fixed this problem. Trainers had to face local trainers, gym leaders, and the local League with regional Pokémon. But, they could face other experienced travelers with an entirely separate lineup if they desired.

Gym leaders were veteran battlers who granted badges to signify a trainers' skill. Upon collecting eight badges, a trainer was able to enter that regions' Pokémon League Conference. The Leagues had changed their Conferences to have a Junior Competition, 10-13, Middle Competition, 14-16, and Adult Competition, 17 and up. This is where they would battle other veteran trainers, an Elite group, and a Champion. However, should a Champion be defeated in the League, the new Champion would have to defend that title every year at the League against all other challengers. This prevented a Champion from maintaining their title by never returning to that League.

Ash put on his belt, a standard, and added Pikachu's Pokeball to it. Oak then picked up a strange tablet. "This is a Pokedex, an invention of mine. It records all the information about the Pokémon it scans, and serves as a useful tool to help new trainers learn about Pokémon." Oak placed the Pokedex in a nearby machine and started typing information. "This machine will register you as a new trainer. Stand there, Ash," Oak said, directing Ash to a spot next to the machine. The machine took a picture of Ash and placed the photo next to the information Oak had typed in.

"Registering new trainer: Ash Ketchum. Home: Pallet Town, Kanto. Age: Ten years old. Starting Pokémon: Pikachu," the machine spoke aloud. Ash could see additional information about Pokémon caught, battling records, conferences entered, badges earned, last known appearance, and a few others he didn't catch before the machine switched off. "Congratulations Ash. You're now an official Pokémon trainer. And to help you on your new journey, here are five Pokeballs." Oak gave Ash the Pokedex and Pokeballs; the new trainers' enthusiasm couldn't be concealed.

"All right! I, Ash Ketchum, will now start my journey to become a Pokémon Master! Are you ready Pikachu?!...Where's Pikachu?" Ash heard a rustling sound at his feet. Looking down, he saw his new Pokémon eating one of the nutrient bars he'd put in his bag. "Hey, that's mine!" Ash tried to grab it but Pikachu shocked him again. "Fine, you can have that one."

Ash walked outside carrying Pikachu to find the Hoothoots gone and a small group of people gathered in front, including his mom. Looking around, he recognized them as family friends and regular customers of his mom's restaurant. He didn't see Red anywhere. "So Ash, you've finally become a trainer, but, who's this Pokémon?" Delia asked happy but confused.

"I'm a trainer mom! And this is my Pokémon, Pikachu." Ash looked at Pikachu to find he was not paying attention to him. "I thought starter Pokémon were Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle?" she queried. "He was late, so those were already chosen," Oak offered. "Well, even if it's not the normal starter, I'm sure the two of you will be great together. By the way Ash, I brought some things for you on your journey" Delia responded. She gave him a Hiker's backpack which was practically overflowing. Ash put the items he wasn't taking, despite his mothers' insistence, into the backpack he brought to Oak's lab and gave that to her.

Curious again, she asked, "Shouldn't Pikachu be in a Pokeball?" "Oh yeah." Ash pulled out Pikachu's Pokeball. "Okay Pikachu, in you go." Ash tossed the ball at Pikachu but it smacked it back to him with its tail. Again and again Ash tried to get Pikachu in the ball but it simply refused to go. "Ash, some Pokémon are simply unwilling to travel in a Pokeball," Oak stated. "Cute but stubborn, huh? Well Ash, it looks like you've already got your first challenge as a trainer," Delia said. Pikachu did not appreciate the meaning behind her statement, so he shocked the entire group.

When they recovered, they all wished Ash luck on his journey and left one by one until it was just Ash and Delia. "Red never showed up, did he mom?" "No, I haven't seen him," she replied sadly. As they stood in silence, an Arcanine leapt over the fence of Oak's Ranch, came up to Ash and dropped an envelope from its mouth. Recognizing it as Red's Arcanine, Red Rover, Ash picked up the envelope, opened it, and read the letter inside.

"Ash, if you can make it to Viridian City with one new Pokémon, we can talk about me accompanying you on your journey. Red." Red Rover went back into the Ranch.

"Well, it's a start," Delia said. "You could learn a lot from him, Ash." Looking to Pikachu, who was currently sniffing around the fence posts of the Ranch, Ash replied, "Yeah, like how to get a Pokémon to listen to you. Pikachu, come here. It's time for us to go." Pikachu ignored Ash. "Some Pokémon take time to trust their trainer. Be that as it may, I hope you stay safe and have a wonderful adventure, Ash." Delia hugged Ash and he hugged her back. Looking back at Pikachu, Ash said, "Mom, give me that clothesline. I have an idea."

In Viridian City, Red was lounging by the Indigo Plateau entrance, waiting for Ash and another trainer he knew would come by. Ash could probably get a Pokémon and get to Viridian within a day. It was whether Red felt like sharing his training methods that was bothering him.

As Red was thinking about how he might need to change up his routine if Ash succeeded and Red decided to join him, the other trainer he was waiting for came walking along the path from the Indigo Plateau.

Red went up to meet her.

Ash had been dragging Pikachu on the clothesline for about a mile before he stopped. It resisted every step of the way, trying to shock Ash, but he was wearing rubber gloves to nullify the shocks. He turned back to Pikachu and knelt down in front of it. "Pikachu, are you going to be like this the whole time? I'm supposed to be your friend, your trainer. Why don't you act the way other Pokemon do?"

Pikachu turned away from him. "I'm okay with you not wanting to travel in the Pokeball from time to time, but you should listen to me. I'm not your enemy." Pikachu turned his head and gave Ash a one-eyed stare as if he didn't believe him.

'Some Pokemon take time to trust their trainer,' Delia's words came back to him. Thinking on it for a moment, Ash removed the clothesline and gloves. Pikachu turned to face him, an ear raised, clearly confused by this action. "I think we started off badly, so I want to try again."

"My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm a brand new Pokemon trainer, and my dream is to one day compete in the Pokemon League and become a Pokemon Master!" Pikachu regarded him quizzically. "As my first Pokemon, you should help me to reach that goal, by teaching me as much as I teach you. So, can you help me to do that?" Pikachu looked doubtful about Ash's intentions, even though it seemed to understand him perfectly.

A sudden rustling sound from the bushes near the two had them both looking at the sound. A Pidgey appeared and started scratching at the dirt in front of them. "I guess I'll just have to show you with the other Pokemon I catch without your help." Ash picked up a rock and took one of the Pokeballs out from his belt.

He threw the rock at the Pidgey and hit it squarely on its beak. Upset, the Pidgey screeched at Ash. Quickly he threw the Pokeball at it, hitting the left wing. It was digitized and trapped in the ball. The Pokeball fell to the ground and shook. Once…twice…thrice, Ash's tension mounted. The Pokeball emitted a click, signifying that it had successfully captured the Pokemon. Ash leapt with joy.

"I did it! I did it! I caught my first Pokemon! Did you see that Pikachu?" Ash turned back to see a very angry Pikachu. Pikachu used a Thundershock on Ash, much stronger than the shocks it had given him in Pallet town. Ash fell onto the dirt. "Why?" he groaned.

Pikachu was emitting sparks from its cheeks but didn't shock Ash again, however, it stayed angry. Ash picked up Pidgey's ball and turned to face Pikachu. "What was that for?!" Pikachu pointed at a nearby rock. "Because I used a rock? It makes Pokemon easier to catch, and you didn't want to help." Pikachu wasn't satisfied with the answer. "I didn't inflict harm on Pidgey that wouldn't subside quickly. I'm not cruel."

"Here, I'll show you." Ash opened Pidgey's ball. Pidgey came out, squawking its name. "Hello there, Pidgey. I'm Ash, your trainer." Pidgey turned to face Ash. "I hope we can become good friends, and grow stronger together on our journey." "Pidgey," it seemed reluctant to trust him as well. "Oh, I know what might help." Ash reached into his bag and pulled out some Pokemon food, a gift from his mom. He gave some to Pidgey and Pikachu, who enjoyed and grudgingly accepted, respectively.

Having eaten, Pidgey seemed friendlier to Ash and allowed him to stroke his feathers and examine it in more detail. Ash took the opportunity to use the Pokedex on his new friend. Pikachu watched closely, still uncertain if Ash could really be trusted. "Are you ready to go?" Ash asked Pidgey and Pikachu. Pidgey agreed, Pikachu was hesitant. "Still not enough, huh?"

Ash returned Pidgey to its Pokeball and walked, slowly, in front of Pikachu. Not knowing what else to try, Ash talked out loud to Pikachu. He spoke of his dream of being a Pokemon Master ever since he was a kid, how he loved his family and looked up to his brother. He wanted to show up Gary and everyone who thought he couldn't be a Pokemon Master. He talked of how he one day wanted to record every Pokemon in the Pokedex and make lasting friendships with people across the world. Finally he shared that his greatest wish was that regardless of how his adventure went, he hoped he could make some amazing memories with his friends, Pokemon and people alike.

Ash had been looking back regularly to make sure that Pikachu was still there, but this time he wasn't. He quickly realized that Pikachu was actually walking beside Ash. He wasn't too near, but near enough to listen better. Ash took it as a sign that Pikachu might be relaxing a little more, which might mean that it was closer to trusting him.

Ash was smiling down at Pikachu as he walked under a tree, only to be smacked in the face by something squishy. "What in the world?" Ash came back to reality to realize that he had walked into something green…and small…and moving…and alive, a Pokemon! Ash pulled out his Pokedex and discovered he had walked into a Caterpie. "Nice, a second Pokemon already!"

Caterpie had been unhappy that something had collided with it, but had quickly gone back to munching on the leaves of the tree it was on. Ash was going to surprise Red with two Pokemon when he showed up in Viridian City. "How about now, Pikachu? Are you willing to battle this time?" Pikachu gave Ash a blank stare. "Okay, I'll use Pidgey, come on out!" Ash threw Pidgey's Pokeball into the air after pressing the release button. Pidgey emerged, crying its name. Caterpie turned to face Pidgey.

"Pidgey, use Peck!" Pidgey flew up to the Caterpie and started pecking at it, but only some of the attacks connected because Caterpie was moving up, down, and around the branches. When Pidgey disengaged, a stream of white silk shot out of the tree and stuck to Pidgey's left wing. "String shot? Okay, while you work to free yourself, use Gust on the tree!" Pidgey cried its name and flapped its right wing furiously to generate a flow of wind strong enough to shake the tree. Caterpie fell out onto the ground, dazed. "Now use Quick Attack!" Pidgey moved quickly across the ground around and collided beak first with Caterpie. Caterpie was knocked back a few feet, and struggled to right itself. "Now you're mine!" Ash threw a Pokeball at Caterpie. Caterpie was digitized. The ball shook once…twice…thrice…it clicked.

"Yes! I caught my second Pokemon! Great job Pidgey!" Ash went up and hugged Pidgey, a huge smile on his face. Pidgey had managed to free itself and embraced the hug, smiling as well. Ash turned and looked at Pikachu, who seemed not only impressed but quite at ease. Ash returned Pidgey to its ball and then the belt. He grabbed Caterpies' ball and held it in his hand. He grinned, knowing that he was a step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master.

"Ok, onwards to Viridian City." Ash started down the path again, Pikachu by his side, nearer than before. While he walked with a smile on his face, Pikachu would occasionally look up at Ash, as if wondering again whether he could be trustworthy. They continued without incident for some time, and Ash hummed merrily to himself.

Red went up and greeted the trainer he was waiting for with a hug, and she was genuinely surprised and happy to see him. "How are you, Serena?" "I'm great, Red. What are you doing here?" she asked, smiling. "I learned from one of my League friends that you were coming by, so I figured I might as well come see you…and offer you that rematch you wanted."

Serena was a seventeen year old young woman whom Red had met 6 years earlier as he traveled the continent. A skilled trainer, she and Red had battled several times on their journeys, but she'd always lost by a slim margin. The two of them had discovered unknown Pokemon, seen wondrous places, and endured a few chaotic moments together, but they were not in a romantic relationship.

Serena knew that Red had improved, he always did. But she had spent most of the last few months training with her sister. She knew the gap between her and Red had closed, if she hadn't overtaken him entirely. "I accept your offer," Serena replied with confidence.

"However, rather than a normal battle, let's up the ante," Red stated with a mischievous look on his face. Serena was wary of that look, as in the past, that look had always brought…unique events (normally trouble) into their lives. "What are we playing for?" "If you win you can have one of these." Red pulled out his Pokedex and showed her the prize. She stood speechless, until finally she whispered, "You have Legendaries?" "Yes." "What could I possibly offer as an equal prize to this?" "I need you to perform one task for me."

Serena looked at him. "A task? I don't believe you." I wrote it on this piece of paper," Red pulled out a piece of paper, placed it on the ground, then put his backpack on top of the piece of paper. "So what's the task?" "You only find out if you lose. It could be as simple as picking a nice flower, or telling me a one of your secrets, maybe it's finding me a Moon Stone, who knows? But if you do this, it's done upon your honor as a trainer." Now Serena knew that whatever he wanted, he was serious about it.

'Upon your honor as a trainer' was an old fashioned rule that few trainers ever tried to invoke. It was created to confirm that the involved parties would settle their matter honestly, fairly, and without embracing technicalities. The reason it was rarely used is because in the modern age, the punishment for failing to follow through on the task resulted in the immediate revocation of their Trainers' License.

Serena was skeptical of this unknown task but she knew he despised lies and half-truths, so he was being completely honest with her. And having traveled with him, she believed him to be a good and honorable man. She didn't think he was going to make her do anything extraordinarily ridiculous, illegal, or immoral.

Common sense told her to not take the challenge; Desire, however, had made the reward too powerful to resist for any aspiring Pokemon Master.

"Upon my honor as a Pokemon Trainer, I accept your challenge," Serena proclaimed proudly. "Upon my honor as a Pokemon Trainer, I expect a battle in return for the prizes we've agreed upon" Red replied n a measured voice. A small crowd had gathered, but it was growing larger every second now that word had spread of the Honor rule being used.

"Six Pokemon each," Serena started, grabbing her first Pokeball and looking Red straight in the eyes. "With nothing held back," Red ended, grabbing his first Pokeball and returning the stare.

With one word, the two trainers tossed their balls and the crowd roared into life.

"BEGIN!"

Ash and Pikachu could see Viridian City far off in the distance. Ash was still trying to think of ways to get Pikachu to accept him, but nothing was coming to mind. However, he had yet to meet his Caterpie, so he released it from its ball. Caterpie appeared on the ground, and didn't appear to be hurting too much from its recent battle.

Ash knelt down and spoke to it. "Hi Caterpie. My name is Ash Ketchum, and I'm your trainer now." Ash presented some Pokémon food to Caterpie. Caterpie inspected the food before eating it, seemingly content with its flavor. Ash picked up Caterpie and placed it on his left shoulder and then resumed his journey to Viridian City. As with Pidgey and Pikachu, Ash told Caterpie of his life and dreams and how he hoped Caterpie would help him on his adventure.

Caterpie had moved from shoulder to shoulder and on top of his head while Ash talked, until Ash realized that Caterpie was tense having this piggyback ride. "I know what might help you relax," Ash said to Caterpie as he picked him off his head and placed him along the length of his forearm. He then began the equivalent of a deep-muscle massage on Caterpie, who quickly loosened up until it almost fell out of Ash's hands. "I learned that from my brother Red. Pretty nice, isn't it Cat…?" But Caterpie had fallen asleep from the massage. Ash returned Caterpie to its Pokeball, smiling.

Serena's first Pokémon was a Rapidash; Red's was a Venusaur. Serena smirked at the type advantage but noticed Red was entirely nonchalant about it. "Rapidash, use Flame Charge!" "Giga Green, Double Team." Venusaur moved quickly, despite its size, to create illusory copies of itself. Rapidash's attack never found its mark. "Rapidash, Agility." 'Let's counter your evasion with more speed,' Serena thought. "Giga, Stun Spore." Rapidash ran quickly around the area with Venusaur in the middle of its circle. Venusaur released hundreds of spores from its flower into the air, which Rapidash cantered into. The spores took root and paralyzed Rapidash, bringing it crashing into the ground. "Rapidash!" "Giga Green, Earthquake." Venusaur raised itself on its two left legs almost until it fell over, then crashed its right legs into the ground, creating a large crack in the earth next to Rapidash. It quickly repeated this three times and then switched to front and back legs. The ground Rapidash was in was caving. Finally, Venusaur jumped up and smashed into the earth with enough force to knock everyone over, except Red. This upended the dirt around Rapidash and dumped it upon the paralyzed Pokemon. Still paralyzed, Rapidash cried out in pain as the flames on its body were almost smothered out completely.

"Giga, Leech Seed." Venusaur shot a dozen small seeds into the dirt on Rapidash, which quickly grew into roots that started leeching out the remainder of Rapidash's strength. Rapidash struggled a few moments more before laying still, having been knocked out. Serena returned Rapidash to its ball and grabbed her second, Red mimicked the action. "Go Murkrow!" "Stream Lord, rise and shine!"

Ash and Pikachu were only a few miles from Viridian City now. Along the way Ash had spotted more Pidgeys and a few Caterpies, but no new Pokémon, until now. Another bird Pokémon crossed Ash's path but it wasn't a Pidgey. This Pokémon had red wings and a black spine. Pulling out his Pokedex, Ash learned that this was a Spearow, and therefore, another Pokémon to catch. Ash turned to look at Pikachu, who looked back at him. The implied message of, "Will you help me this time?" went unanswered by Pikachu, who was still hesitant to trust this trainer.

Ash turned back to the Spearow and pulled out Pidgey's Pokeball, knowing that Caterpie was still too hurt to help and would be at a type disadvantage here. "Ok Pidgey, let's go!" He threw the Pokeball and Pidgey appeared on the ground, crying its name. The Spearow turned to face the trainer and its Pokémon, annoyed. "Let's start with a Gust attack!" Pidgey flapped his wings hard to create a proper Gust attack which was launched at the Spearow. Now upset at being attacked, the Spearow charged at Pidgey, pecking furiously, striking Pidgey many times. "Use Quick Attack!" Pidgey charged fast at Spearow, weaving back and forth before tackling it. When Spearow got up again, it was clearly infuriated. It cried its name loudly, prompting a flock of Spearows to emerge from nearby trees, which all came flying at Ash, Pikachu, and Pidgey.

A rainstorm started that Ash hadn't even noticed coming until now. Ash quickly returned Pidgey to its Pokeball, knowing that this was one of the occasions when it was better to run from Pokémon. He picked up a frightened Pikachu and ran as quick as he could towards Viridian City. The Spearows were not giving up that easily, however, and they flew at and into the trainer and Pokémon, enraged. After several attacks found Pikachu through Ash's protective hold, the electric Pokémon unleashed a large lightning strike into the surrounding area, his trainer included. Ash tripped in surprise and pain at this sudden attack. He rose back to his feet to find the flock of Spearows lying on the ground beside him.

"Wow, that's impressive," Ash spoke aloud to Pikachu as he surveyed the scene. The Spearow were recovering quickly, loudly crying their name. A shadow fell over Ash and Pikachu; they looked up to see a giant bird Pokémon descending towards them. Not bothering to wait and find out what it was, Ash grabbed Pikachu once more and ran down the road again. Ash glanced back in time to see a Fearow diving at him, so Ash dove for the ground as well…only to discover there was no ground in front of him and he was falling off a cliff towards a river below.

Murkrow popped out of its Pokeball to meet a Quagsire. "Murkrow, Wing Attack!" "Rain Dance around it." Murkrow took to the skies and then flew at Quagsire with its wing outstretched. Quagsire was dancing in his spot, bringing a sudden downpour on the area. When Murkrow would come in for its attack, Quagsire simply bent away, still dancing. "Hail, Stream Lord." "Fly, Murkrow!" Quagsire turned the existing rain into hail, which damaged Murkrow as it flew up. As it came down, it was pelted until it could barely see. "Stream Lord, Mud Bomb." Right as Murkrow came at Quagsire, Quagsire hit it square in the body with a Mud Bomb. Murkrow missed its attack and crashed into the ground as well. It struggled to get upright.

"One more attack, Sucker Punch!" Murkrow charged at Quagsire drawing its left wing back. "Counter." As Murkrow was connecting with Quagsire's body, Quagsire turned its body to smash its tail straight down onto Murkrow's head. Murkrow was knocked out immediately. The two trainers recalled their Pokemon. 'He's far better than the last time I battled him, maybe as good as my sister.' "Let's turn this around Medicham!" "Hard Shell, pop to it!"

Ash awoke to find a girl his age staring down at his face. "Are you ok?" she asked. "Where's Pikachu?" Ash managed to squeak out. "Your Pokémon is still in your arms, but it looks as bad as you do." Ash sat up to find that he was indeed holding onto Pikachu, somehow. He couldn't really feel his arms at the moment. Ash inspected Pikachu and was relieved to find it breathing normally. "Thanks for your help, but who are you?" Ash asked the girl. "My name's Misty, but you should get your Pokémon to a Center and get yourself checked out by a doctor. You both look horrible."

Ash finally looked around to find that he was sitting by the edge of a riverbank, with a fishing hook in his vest. Remembering the Fearow and his dive off the cliff, Ash counted himself lucky to be relatively uninjured from the fall. "Was I fished out of the water?" he asked out loud. "Yes! Now get to a Pokémon Center!" Misty shouted at him, upset that he wasn't trying to help Pikachu. Said Pokémon stirred in Ash's arms. Trainer and Pokémon smiled at each other, but their bonding moment was interrupted by a Pokémon cry. "FEAROW!" The Pokémon in question was flying fast towards the group, having finally found its prey once more.

Ash spotted a nearby bike and hopped on, holding Pikachu in one hand and the handles in the other. Taking off on the only dirt path towards the city he saw in the distance, he recognized it as Viridian City, and it was only a few miles away. "Hey, that's my bike!" Ash heard from behind him. He didn't care about that. His only focus was getting Pikachu and himself away from the pursuing Fearow.

Serena's Medicham appeared in a defensive fighting pose across from a…Shuckle. A curious choice to the crowd, most had never seen one before. "Medicham, High Jump Kick!" "Hard Shell, Power Split." Medicham leapt into the air and came down kicking at Shuckle. At the moment of impact Shuckle averaged out the Attack and Special Attack stats of the two Pokemon. Medicham's kick sent Shuckle flying, but it rolled right back into the battle area seemingly unfazed and without a bruise anywhere. "Use Confusion!" "Safeguard." Shuckle put up a shimmering barrier just as Medicham projected a psychic wave at it. "Let's follow up with Focus Blast!" "Shell, use Bide." Shuckle withdrew inside its shell. Medicham brought its hands together to create a light blue ball of energy, which, when its power had built up, it launched at Shuckle. The blast hit Shuckle and sent it bouncing away but it rolled itself back to its opponent.

"Calm Mind!" Medicham turned its focus inward, raising its Special Attack and Special Defense. Serena knew bide would do serious damage, so she needed Medicham ready. Shuckle was shivering with stored energy. "Detect, Medicham!" Medicham's eyes glowed green and dodged the Bide energy that Shuckle released. "Shell, Power Trick." Shuckle emitted a multi-colored glow as it switched its Attack and Defense stats. "Force Palm!" Medicham ran up to Shuckle and thrust its right hand palm into Shuckle with great power. Shuckle went bouncing away but rolled back to the battle area again, apparently undamaged. "Shell, Bug Bite." "Endure!" Medicham braced itself for the attack. Shuckle rolled up to Medicham and leaped onto its back, fangs coming out of its mouth. It bit into Medicham's neck, bringing both Pokemon straight to the ground. Medicham could barely move. "Wrap." Shuckle twisted its limbs around Medicham's midsection, and it fainted immediately.

With half her Pokemon already knocked out and Red's barely taking any damage, Serena wasn't sure she could win this fight at all. The trainers recalled their Pokemon. Despite her Pokémon's' type advantages and high mobility, Red's Pokémon seemed beyond anything she'd ever seen. This battling style clearly demonstrated how he was able to capture legendary Pokemon. She should have listened to her instincts and not taken the wager.

Knowing that she had to turn this around now, Serena grabbed her sixth Pokeball instead of her fourth. She hoped the best in her lineup could save her from more embarrassment. "Froslass, make this count!" Realizing Serena was betting everything on this last Pokemon, Red replied in kind. "Gallant Warrior, finish this with pride!" Froslass came out facing a Gallade, which bowed to Froslass.

"Froslass, Captivate!" "Aerial Ace." Froslass released pink hearts from its body which hit Gallade, lowering his Special Attack. Gallade jumped high into the air positioning the sun at its back, its body surrounded by white streaks. Froslass was unable to dodge Gallade's tackle when it impacted the ground. "Leaf Blade." Gallade's arms became surrounded by a wavy light green aura which it slashed at Froslass, dealing critical damage. "Shadow Ball!" Froslass recovered quickly and shot a shadowy blob at Gallade who was now to close to dodge. It knocked him back several feet and lowered his Special Defense. "Icy Wind!" Froslass blew a beam of wind with sparkling blue snow in it from its mouth at Gallade. The attack lowered Gallade's speed. "Psycho Cut." Gallade releases a pink crescent-like blade of energy from its head at Froslass. Froslass was knocked over, having been dealt critical damage yet again. "Use Astonish!" "Quick Guard!" Gallade brought its arms together to create a red barrier just before Froslass appeared in front of Gallade making a scary face.

Serena was doing better this round and wanted to capitalize on her momentum. "Ominous Wind!" Froslass blasted Gallade with a gust of repulsive purple wind from its mouth. This raised all of Froslass's stats. "Confusion!" Gallade's eyes glowed pink and it released a psychic beam of energy at Froslass. Froslass hit the ground hard and fought to get back up. "Draining Kiss!" "Protect" Froslass moved towards Gallade but Gallade put up a circular blue energy shield that Froslass bounced off of. "Night Slash, now!" Gallade's arms turned a whitish purple, it lunged quickly at the rebounding Froslass and slashed it in midair, inflicting critical damage once again. Froslass impacted into the dirt hard, stirred once, and then lay still, having fainted. Gallade landed back in front of Red and faced Serena in a ready stance, apparently unexhausted by this more intense battle but eager for the next. Serena recalled Froslass.

Serena accepted that she couldn't beat Red's Pokémon. She raised her hand and spoke aloud, "I yield; this match is yours." The crowd roared in approval of the match, considering it as great as the ones they'd watched on TV. They talked energetically amongst themselves about their favorite parts. Red smiled at her and returned Gallade to its Pokeball. He picked up his bag and the piece of paper and walked over to Serena. He held the paper loosely in his hand, and Serena took it from him. "Don't read that here, too many prying eyes," Red commented in a low voice, referring to the crowd who wanted to know what the reward was for this extraordinary bout. Serena put the paper in her pocket and picked up her bag.

Ash was almost at Viridian city, only a mile away now. He was winded from pedaling so hard but it was the only thing that had kept the Fearow from catching him. Realizing that its prey was going to escape soon, Fearow flew ahead of Ash. Ash thought that maybe Fearow was giving up when it suddenly turned and headed straight at him. Unable to dodge in time, Fearow's right wing caught Ash's torso and knocked him clear off the bicycle. Pikachu fell out of his hands onto the ground. Fearow hovered in the air next to the two of them. The Pokémon watched its trainer struggle to stand up, placing itself between the Fearow and Pikachu. The rain stopped, as the storm passed by.

"FEAROW!" It cried out, showing its rage at having its flock attacked. Barely able to keep himself on his feet, Ash turned his head back to Pikachu. "Run, Pikachu," Ash managed to croak out. He stepped closer to the Fearow, hoping that it would choose to harm the Pokémon trainer first, given the opportunity. Fearow flapped itself higher into the air, seemingly intent on crashing itself on top of the human. Ash watched Fearow gain altitude, and stood his ground waiting for the attack, when a yellow object jumped off his head into the air above him.

"PIIIIKAACHUUUUU!" it screamed, bringing forth a powerful lightning strike from its body. Ash covered his eyes instinctively as a blinding light poured into his vision. The ensuing thunder blasted him onto his back, and something landed on his chest. Ash watched the Fearow crash into the ground in front of him, his gaze meeting a weakened Pikachu's, the something on his chest. He smiled. "I'm glad you're okay." Pikachu smiled back at him.

A sudden boom of thunder washed over the area. Everyone was looking around for the source when Red noticed a large bird falling from the sky way off in the distance. He pulled off his fourth Pokeball and released its occupant. A Salamence appeared before him, to the surprise of many people. "Vehement, go find out what's happening off in the distance," Red pointed towards the area where he saw the bird fall. Vehement turned its head to look in the direction Red was indicating. It nodded its head in acknowledgement, flew up into the sky and headed off to that spot. Red turned back to Serena. "My apologies. Now, after we get your Pokémon to the Center, would you care to join me for lunch?" "Might as well," Serena replied, curious at how calm Red had been since she'd met him today.

It takes too long to write all this out, I do have other things to focus on. So this was a demonstration of my writing style which I hope you enjoy. From now on ill just write, "follows anime", and put in my alterations as it goes along. Otherwise well never get to the good parts. I know there are going to be parts that don't match up remotely to the anime or games, deal with it.

If you don't know what happens in the anime, follow this link to watch Pokémon online for free: pokemon-indigo-league_episodes

Enjoy!


	3. Rough Beginnings

Rough Beginnings

"So…what's your answer?" Red asked Serena, who had just read the task on the paper in her hands. The two of them were sitting outside at a quiet café near the Pokémon Center, drinking tea and sharing biscuits. "Kind of a bland way to ask someone," Serena stated, still shocked by what she'd been asked to do. "You wanted fanfare? Bells and Whistles? A marching band? A gigantic flash mob, for this?" "Uh, no, I just," "You never expected this as a competing prize for a Legendary Pokémon." Serena nodded.

"Are you going to refuse?" Red asked in a very serious tone. The two trainers held each other's gaze for a few seconds until Serena looked away. "Would you really hold me to the loss of my trainer's license over this?" she spoke softly. "Did you think I was joking?" Serena looked back to him, about to say something but Red held his hand up and spoke first.

"You allowed yourself to be so consumed by a desire that you couldn't think straight. You chose to agree to what should have been viewed as a blatantly vague, blank-check styled agreement without considering all its possible outcomes." Serena was dispirited to hear the truth aloud. "I didn't offer my proposal with malicious intent, nor have I asked you to do something ludicrous or cruel. And if, after six months, you find this task distasteful, I will allow you to back out of it."

Serena met Red's gaze once more. "But you will try, and give it your best attempt…and not a single drop of sweat less than that." She was hesitant to answer. "Or is it still too much to ask and I should take your license now?" "No!" she answered quickly, surprising some nearby patrons. She recovered her composure.

"No. If this is what you really want, then I'm not against it. But it's still a surprise." Red smiled at her, and for her answer. "Much of life is, wouldn't you agree?" Red said, offered his teacup to Serena. She smiled back and clinked her cup against his. "To the future," Red toasted.

Ash was fighting the pain in his body to get into an upwards position. Pikachu wasn't faring much better than him. The Fearow they'd beaten was lying face down in the dirt less than 50 feet away. As he worked up to his knees, his view expanded and he noticed a burnt metal object nearby. After staring at it for a few seconds, he made it out to be the bike he'd borrowed from Misty, if you could call it a bike anymore. The Thunder that Pikachu unleashed had twisted and cooked the whole thing; the wheels were slightly smoking at the moment. Ash picked up Pikachu and began yet again towards Viridian City.

The two were surprised by a sudden movement nearby. Turning towards it, they were horrified to see the Fearow get up and start walking towards them slowly, with a murderous look upon its face. While Ash's mind worked furiously to think of anything more he could do to run or fight, a shadow passed over him. A large blue creature with dark red wings dropped between Ash and Fearow. He barely recognized it as a Salamence before said creature turned to the side and whipped its tail against the Fearow's head hard enough to knock it over.

As the Fearow recovered from this attack, Vehemence roared loudly at its opponent, challenging it to fight. But the Fearow was clearly afraid and had had enough, so it flew up and away at a fast pace. Vehemence snorted in disappointment then turned back to Ash and looked him over.

Ash finally realized that the Salamence that had saved him was his brother's, Vehemence. The ornamental display and combination neck and torso harness that it wore was unmistakable. "Vehemence? What are you doing here?" Vehemence barely registered the question, as its focus was on the unconscious yellow Pokémon in Ash's arms. When it realized that Ash and the Pikachu he held were both too injured to get to help on their own, Vehemence lowered itself to the ground and indicated to Ash that he should get on.

Still confused about Vehemence's appearance, Ash climbed aboard, holding as tight as he could to the harness on its neck. Vehemence picked up the nearby bike in its mouth, then launched into the sky at a startling speed, angling towards the Pokémon Center. Ash would have taken the opportunity to enjoy the flight if his concern for Pikachu wasn't overwhelming everything else on his mind. Pikachu had been unconscious since it defeated the Fearow, or thought he had. It hadn't stirred once since then and Ash was getting more and more concerned for its health.

As he was looking down at Pikachu, Ash barely noticed the ground getting larger in his peripheral vision. Looking back to the horizon, he saw that Vehemence was already diving to the Pokémon Center. As they drew near, Ash called out to clear ground below them, which was somewhat crowded. A small area was vacated to allow Vehemence to land, and Ash jumped off as soon as they were on the ground. Vehemence dropped the bike on the ground and then flew into the air again.

Rushing inside, Ash was immediately stopped by security. Where are you going?!" the officer asked. "My Pikachu's hurt and it needs help." The officer waved down the nurse behind the front desk. "What's the problem here?" she asked. "My Pikachu was hurt in a battle and he hasn't moved since," Ash explained. The nurse stepped over to an intercom on the wall and pressed the button. "Biobed needed in the Main Hall. Prepare Emergency Room A for an electric Pokémon."

A duo of Chanseys came barreling out of a nearby set of double doors, wheeling a hospital bed between them. The nurse leaned over and took Pikachu from Ash's hold and placed it in the biobed. As she stood up, Ash caught sight of her nametag, Joy. "Are you a member of the Joy nursing family?" Ash asked her, his curiosity peaked. "I'll be right there," Joy said to the Chanseys before turning to Ash. "Yes I am. Now why don't you explain what possessed you to make your Pokémon battle until it reached this state of harm?" she demanded of him.

"I didn't!" Ash protested. He explained what had happened to both of them. "In the future, young man, you should be more aware of how certain Pokémon could respond to your actions. The both of you are lucky to be alive," Joy scolded him. Dispirited by the truth, Ash managed a "Yes, Ma'am" before turning to follow her into Emergency Room A.

"And where do you think you're going?" Joy asked. "Um," Ash started. "This is a clean room for the care of critically injured Pokémon, and only authorized staff may enter. You need to wait for us to finish, and more importantly than that, you should get yourself checked out by the resident human doctor. Then get your Pokémon registered in the system so any future caregiving runs smoothly."

As the double doors closed behind Nurse Joy, the light for Emergency Room A lit up red. Ash stood there for a few minutes, going over todays' events in his head, and found himself humbled by his recklessness and stupidity. Finally, he turned and headed towards the doctor's office Nurse Joy had mentioned, though he felt he didn't deserve treatment for what he'd allowed to happen to Pikachu.

Red and Serena left the local government building, stepping back into the life of the City. "So what was that meeting about? Serena asked Red as they walked casually back to the Pokémon Center. "I told the governing body about a group of Mankeys I saw moving through the forest outside the city limits. I wanted to make sure they informed the residents near that tree line to be careful while the Pokémon passed through." "Why didn't you just scare them away?" Red stopped to turn and face her fully.

"Precisely how would that be of any help? A lone human, wandering through the Mankeys' territory, suddenly uses a powerful Pokémon to scare the daylights out of them. So now the Mankeys are afraid of humans, and then they communicate with other Pokémon how humans are cruel. The tale gets told over and over until distrust spreads through the Pokémon of this region. Then Pokémon sightings drop for weeks, months, maybe even years, is that what you want?" Serena was shocked at the in-depth analysis that Red had given her.

"Of course not. But the people of the city should be protected." "They already are. They have homes, and they stay out of the forest as a natural habit. So long as they are informed that they shouldn't engage in any activities near the forest that might drive the Mankeys into a frenzy, the city is already safe," Red explained. Serena still looked confused. "Fear is acceptable. Rampant paranoia is not. That's what I'm trying to control."

Serena was impressed at Red's foresight into this situation, and how he was still mellow since she'd met him in the morning. As the two started walking again, Serena asked, "You've been extraordinarily calm today, even during our battle this morning. How and why?" "You can accept that certain things will or won't happen. Regardless of what you do to create it or stop it, some things will change, some things won't." Red looked her straight in the eyes. "But how you respond to it is always in your control. I've been practic…" Red was interrupted by a loud roar from overhead.

He and Serena looked into the sky to see a large object flying past at great speed. The roar was repeated again. People on the street were looking up, sticking their heads out of windows, and exiting buildings to find the source of this loud interruption. Red stepped into the middle of the street, pulling a whistle from his vest pocket. He blew into it in a rhythm of low, high, low, high. There were no more roars from overhead. A large blue creature with dark wings landed from the sky in front of Red. Serena was surprised to see the same Salamence Red had called on only a few minutes earlier, but it looked agitated, and for the first time today, Red looked concerned.

Vehemence crouched down and indicated with his tail that Red should get on. "What's wrong, Red?" Serena asked, stepping into the street next to him. "Vehemence must have found something that he believes I need to see." Red offered his hand to her. "Get on. I'll drop you off at the Pokémon Center." "That's okay, I'll waaaaaaalk," Serena began to protest, but Red just picked her up and dropped her onto Vehemence anyways. Red climbed on behind her, putting his left arm around her waist and using his right hand to grab Vehemence's neck. "Pokémon Center, Vehemence. Hold onto the harness, Serena." Serena barely grabbed the harness before Vehemence shot into the sky.

The world around them turned into cold wind and noise. "I thought a Salamence couldn't support the weight of two people when flying," Serena yelled back to Red. "Not in normal conditions. But as you've no doubt noticed, my Pokémon are hardly normal," Red replied loud enough for her to hear. "Any ideas what Vehemence wants?" "I've taught all my Pokémon to think and act on their own when they're separated from me. So if Vehemence thinks there's a problem, I don't ask questions, I just go." The Pokémon Center was just below them. "Hold tight," Red told Serena before he covered her ears.

Vehemence cried out as it descended, clearing the people on the ground below them. Serena was glad that Red had covered her ears; without the extra protection, the sound would likely have shattered her eardrums. Upon landing, Serena hopped off and readjusted to walking again. Red readjusted his seat and was about to tell Vehemence to take off again when he noticed that it was crouched down. Vehemence used its tail to indicate the Pokémon Center doors. "There's something in the Pokémon Center?" Red asked, getting off. Vehemence nodded in response, returning to its normal posture. "All right then, return," Red spoke aloud, activating Vehemence's Pokeball. Once it had returned Red walked inside to find the source of its agitation.

That agitation was immediately made clear by the sight of Ash standing outside of an Emergency Room's windows, covered with bruises and bandages.

Continuing on, I may just write, "Follows anime", and put in my alterations as it goes along. Otherwise well never get to the good parts. I know there are going to be parts that don't match up remotely to the anime or games, deal with it.

If you don't know what happens in the anime, follow this link to watch Pokémon online for free:

pokemon-indigo-league_episodes

Enjoy!


	4. Dealing with Tragedy

Dealing with Tragedy

Seeing Ash in his harmed state, Red walked over to his younger brother to examine him. Ash seemed somewhat disconnected from reality, and he barely even registered that his brother was standing before him. "Red," he finally spoke. Recognizing that his brother was in shock, Red directed his brother to a nearby couch, grabbed his hiker backpack, and pulled out a blanket to place around Ash.

He wrapped his brother snugly into the blanket and then knelt down before him. "Ash, can you hear me?" Ash nodded. Looking his brother over again for injuries, Red asked, "Are you in any pain, does some part of you feel out of place?" "Just my soul," Ash answered after a few seconds. "Can you tell me what happened?" Ash nodded but failed to say anything further. Red realized that his brother needed to be directed into his tale.

"You woke up this morning…" Red started it for him. "I slept late. I hadn't set my alarm." "Okay…Then you got prepared and went to Professor Oak's lab…" "A crowd had gathered for Gary. He insulted me. His crowd upset some Hoothoots. I ran inside." "Oak met you…He gave you your starter…" "I didn't get a starter. But he gave me a Pikachu. It didn't like me. I got my license. Oak gave me a Pokedex. I went outside and found mom with a small crowd…" Red's prompting had worked, his brother was more focused now, and his eyes didn't seem quite so dead anymore.

Ash told Red about his journey to Viridian. He caught two Pokemon. He fought a Spearow, then ran from its flock… On and on Ash talked until his story brought him to standing back in front of the Emergency Room A doors, where inside, his new friend was badly hurt because of Ash's carelessness. Red empathized with his brother's situation. Ash was responsible for his Pokemon, and after a terrible start to his journey, he already believed it could be over.

Serena walked up to them, curious what Red was doing in the Pokemon Center when there was supposed to be some emergency. "Serena, this is my brother, Ash." "Hello Ash. I'm Serena, a Pokemon trainer like your brother. I've known him for years…" Serena trailed off, sensing that this wasn't an occasion for nice conversation.

"Vehemence found him where the lighting strike was, and he's had a horrible first day as a trainer," Red told her as he stood up to speak confidentially. "He was in shock and I need to keep him from falling back into it, could you bring us some hot chocolate from the vending machine?" Serena looked at Red's brother, sympathizing immediately. "Of course," she said with a smile. As Serena walked away, Red sat down next to his brother and hugged him.

"Ash, I need you to believe that today isn't the end of your adventure. Every trainer I've met has had a day that rivals what you experienced…even me." Ash looked at his brother, scarcely able to accept that the best trainer he knew could have had an obstacle like this. "What happened to you?" Ash asked.

Red sat for a moment, uncertain of sharing his…shame. It was one moment he had never tried to relive, a deeply personal experience of great pain. Finally, he relented, knowing that Ash needed to sympathize before he gave up on himself. "I was traveling in some unknown territory; a forest at the base of a mountain, beside a wide river. It was midday, and I had exhausted most of my Pokemon from battles and training exercises. Chartaros was traveling beside me, wanting to push himself further, despite my objections. We had to cross the river to try and get to the mountain but it was deeper than it looked. Chartaros fell in, and I couldn't get him back out of the water." Ash listened intently, unable to take his eyes off his brother.

"In my panicked state I hadn't even considered making him return to his Pokeball." Red bent over, putting his head in his hands. "I managed to direct him into an embankment, where we both lay, totally spent of energy. Then I caught a glimpse of Chartaros' tail; it was dangerously small. I was getting to my feet to try and get a fire started for him when the impossible happened." Red looked at Ash. "A large crested wave came down the river at us. It was the full width of the river and traveling fast. It smashed into us and knocked me unconscious immediately. When I awoke, I was back at the base of the river, at the seashore, 15, 20 miles away, at night. Hours had already passed."

Red faced forward, remembering the next part of his terrifying ordeal. "By some miracle, Chartaros was there beside me, and his tail had lit some dry driftwood. I pushed my aching body to direct the fire against my hurt friend, and fought sleep, food, and water to make sure he recovered." Red stopped his tale, his voice falling quiet at the end.

"It took the entire day to get him conscious again, and the rest of the next day to help him get strong enough to fly us to the nearest Pokemon Center." Red clasped his hands in front of him, ending his tale. "How did you forgive yourself for that?" Ash asked, desperate to find an answer to his problem. Red looked to his brother, deadly serious.

"I've never forgiven myself. Not for pushing my Pokemon so hard that they couldn't help themselves, or me. Not for letting Chartaros accompany me outside his Pokeball into water. Not for my ignoring common sense and not checking the depth of the river. And especially not for letting fate control what happened in the water to take me to a potentially fatal spot for my best friend." Ash looked down, depressed at not getting an easy way out of his own predicament.

Knowing what his brother was thinking, Red spoke again. "I won't forgive myself for that day…I can't. But I've never again let chance control my journey, or my ego control me. Since then, I've learned from my mistakes." Red turned to Ash and made him look at him. "And I've promised myself that I will always do better than that day."

Ash stared at his brother before looking down at the ground, accepting the truth of his situation. He can't change today, but he could find some way to prove that it might be the worst he'd ever have as a trainer. Ash looked back to his brother only to realize someone was standing behind Red. It was the girl who'd tried to introduce herself before.

Red looked behind to find out what Ash was so interested in. Serena was standing there with three hot chocolates, and a surprised look on her face. "How much of that did you hear?" Red asked concerned. "All of it. Red you never told me…," but Red interrupted her by bringing his left hand up in stopping motion. "There are plenty of stories I haven't told you, or anyone, and some I doubt will ever pass my lips." "I'm sorry. I…." "You don't have to be sorry for that. But that wasn't for you to hear."

Serena had no response to that, since Red was correct once again. Finally she handed over the hot chocolates and began drinking her own as she walked away. Red turned back to Ash. "You're going to have to decide what kind of trainer, and what kind of man you want to be, Ash. Being a Pokemon trainer isn't always easy or glamorous, but if you work at it…it's worth the suffering you'll sometimes have."

Ash looked at his brothers' face, almost expecting to detect a lie. But Red's eyes showed the truth behind his statement. "I'll try. It is just one day after all," Ash whispered. Red smiled at Ash before he hugged his brother again. "Drink your hot chocolate, and call mom, she's going to want to know you made it here. Ash nodded pulling out his tablet. Red stood up and went to find Serena.

She was sitting at a table with her hot chocolate in her left hand and her tablet in her right. She seemed to be scrolling through recent news articles in Kanto. Red sat down opposite her. She put down her tablet and looked at him. "For someone who wanted to date me a year ago, you just demonstrated a severe lack of respect for privacy," Red accused her, his irritation evident. Serena responded earnestly. "Red…why have I never heard that story? We've traveled for eight months together of each year, every year since we were eleven, but you've never even referenced that story in any conversation. Can you really hate me for listening through to the end?"

Red sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Hate is too strong a word for it. But it was an intense, personal dilemma I've never wanted to relive." He leaned back towards her, serious and calm once more. "That was guilt and shame on a level I can't cope with face-to-face. It makes me feel as sick as I do when I hear about people mistreating Pokemon." Serena reached across the table and put her hands on top of Red's. "I'm not going to absolve you of what happened. It was careless. But it was also horrible, and no one should ever suffer such events alone." Red looked down at their hands and then withdrew his slowly.

"That should still be my choice to share it willingly," Red said quietly. Ash walked up to their table and sat down next to his brother, his hot chocolate finished. "Mom was upset at my actions but empathizes with my situation," Ash said, still depressed. "What happened to you?" Serena asked. Ash was skeptical about telling her his story. "Talking about bad experiences can help, little brother."

Ash told his tale yet again, and surprisingly, his brother was right. "Your Pikachu took out an entire flock of Spearows and a knocked down a Fearow? That's one special non-starter Pokémon you have there, Ash." Serena stood up and hugged Ash after he was done with his story. "You're going to make it through this, Ash. There will always be bad days in the future, but try to focus on the good ones," she said. "You've had one as well?" Ash prodded. "Yes…" Serena started until she caught sight of Red shaking his head. "But I think there's been enough bad stories for today. Maybe I'll tell you another time." "What was your name? Serenity?" "Serena." "Thanks for the encouragement, Serena."

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. Nurse Joy was standing next to them. "Your Pikachu is out of danger. Most of its injuries were easily healed, they merely looked horrible. However, he needs to recharge. That fight took a great deal of energy out of him." Ash smiled, his burden almost disappearing entirely. "Thank you Nurse Joy," he managed to say through his elation. "I believe you are the one to be thanked here. The manner in which you protected your Pokemon likely spared it a great deal of harm."

Red and Serena smiled at Ash, who in turn looked sheepish. "I was just trying to save him…" That's a mark of a good trainer, Ash. You attempted to maintain its wellbeing in a crisis without having to think about it. I'm proud of you," Red told his brother. Ash was embarrassed at this praise.

He was about to ask if he could go see Pikachu when a familiar voice preempted his question. "How did a loser like you get to Viridian City before me?"

It was Gary.


	5. Peace of Mind

Peace of Mind

"Is that any way to greet a fellow Pokémon trainer?" Red accused Gary. "Pokémon…Trainer?!" Gary laughed loudly. "He'd have to have a Pokémon to be a trainer!" Gary continued laughing; his cheerleading team walked into the Pokémon Center and watched the interaction. "I have a Pikachu that Professor Oak gave me," Ash stated. "What a fool! It doesn't make a difference, your starter had to be Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle." "What a fool! What a fool!" Gary's cheerleaders started chanting. The entire Pokémon Center had taken note of the situation.

Red grabbed his fifth Pokeball and stood up. "If the lot of you don't shut up, I'm going to humiliate you in a manner unbecoming of adolescents or adults!" The team stopped chanting and looked amongst each other nervously. Not wanting to test fate over the look in Red's eye, they became quiet and docile.

Red sat down again, replacing his Pokeball. "Sorry, now that your support team for your fragile ego is silent, you were saying something about Ash having a non-starter Pokémon?" Red pulled out his tablet and brought up his copy of the Pokémon League Rules and Regulations. Gary looked at Red angrily for the insult until Red handed him his tablet. "Go ahead, read the highlight out loud," Red politely demanded. "All trainers in the Indigo Pokémon League are required to start with a basic level and untrained Pokémon. The preferred starters," Gary paused confused. "I'm waiting," Red spoke aloud.

"The preferred starters for the Indigo Pokémon League are Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances including, but not limited to, lack of enough starter Pokémon, a trainers desire to start with a different Pokémon, a Pokémon Professor's belief in a better matchup," Red stood up and took his tablet back from Gary, stopping him. He sat back down, putting the tablet away.

"The world doesn't follow your rules, young one. And if Oak wanted to, he could've forced you to start your journey with a Pokémon other than that Squirtle you chose." Gary looked surprised. "How do you know," Gary started, but Red interrupted. "Because there are plenty of days when your grandfather likes me better than his own grandson!"

Gary looked back to Ash, his confidence returning. "Well, it makes no difference, a loser is still a loser," Gary said smugly. But Ash had had enough of Gary's snide remarks. "For your information, o great and powerful one, I've caught two Pokémon already. And better than that, my Pikachu stood up to an entire flock of Spearows and knocked a Fearow down for a few minutes. So what have you accomplished today, other than boasting to every passerby about how great you think you are?" There were a few chuckles around the Pokémon Center at Ash's remark.

Gary was livid. "You won't steal my glory," "Gary, is it?" Serena interrupted. He turned to face her. "You're acting like a Poochyena: all bark and no bite. Calm down before you embarrass yourself further. Gary lost it. "You may have caught a few Pokémon, but that doesn't make you a trainer! I challenge you to battle!"

Ash, Red, and even Serena were about to speak up when Nurse Joy walked up in front of Gary and slapped him hard across the face. The entire Center, including the assembled Pokémon, was surprised. Gary rubbed where he was slapped. "Are you crazy? What was," but Nurse Joy slapped him again across the other side of his face interrupting him. Gary looked at her scared. Nurse Joy leaned over and spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"You should be ashamed of yourself young man! Since the moment you stepped foot inside my building you have treated a fellow trainer with utter contempt and disturbed the peace of everyone else, some of whom are waiting to hear about the condition of their critically injured Pokémon! And now you challenge this trainer you dislike to a battle? If you had to stop at my Pokémon Center that means your Pokémon are injured, and you intend to make those Pokémon battle in such a condition?!"

"I," Gary started but Nurse Joy quickly slapped him across the face again. It stung hard enough that tears started to well up in Gary's eyes. "You severely overestimate your new Pokémon's' abilities to fight in such frequency. Worse, you overestimate my tolerance, of which there is none, for allowing trainers to battle with injured Pokémon! I have half a mind to call an officer and charge you with gross misconduct of yourself and the mistreatment of your Pokémon." Gary was terrified, and the onlookers were shocked speechless. Only three people in the Pokémon Center knew that Nurse Joy was capable of such…disciplinary actions.

"Unless your Pokémon are in mortal danger, I refuse to give them treatment for another hour, or allow you into my Pokémon Center during that time!" Nurse Joy stood back up to her full height and pointed at the entrance doors. "Now, GET OUT!" she demanded. Gary turned to the doors and was about to leave with his cheerleading team when Red spoke up. "By the way Gary, you owe Professor Oak one million dollars. He expects your first payment tomorrow." Gary stopped to look back at Red but he caught sight of Nurse Joy' angry face and just turned right back around and walked out of the Pokémon Center.

Once the doors had closed behind Gary, Nurse Joy sighed. The Center returned to its normal atmosphere within a few moments. "You handled that better than your cousin in the Orange Islands, Joy" Red spoke. "Thank you Red, but that doesn't make it any easier." "Joy…that was his fault and his alone. And it was kinder than what I was about to do to him." "Then I suppose it's a good thing I did step in," Joy said as she turned to face Ash again. "Now, did you want to see your Pikachu?" "Yes, please," Ash responded quickly. Ash, Red, and Serena stood up and followed Joy.

"Where are you going, kid?!" The group turned around, peeved. "Young man…who are you?" Joy started. They were all expecting to see Gary, but it was a young girl with orange hair and an upset temperament. She was holding a burnt metal object in her hands and glaring daggers at Ash. "Oh, it's the girl. What was your name again, Fog?" "Misty! Now what did you do to my bike?!" she almost screamed at Ash.

Seeing that they were causing another incident, Serena walked up to Misty and grabbed her hands, pulling her behind herself. "Come on, we'll show you what happened." Serena said to her. "Let go of me!" Misty retorted. Red took the bike from Misty's hands when he realized what Serena was doing. He motioned to Ash to follow them while he inspected Misty's burnt bike.

Serena pulled Misty into the recovery room. Ash and Joy followed a second behind them, Red a few moments later. They found what they were looking for immediately. Pikachu was sitting up in his bio bed, attached with wires to what looked to be a large battery. "Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed as he went and hugged his partner. "Pika!" It responded happily upon seeing its friend. The group smiled at the interaction.

"Ash and Pikachu protected each other from a Fearow, but in doing so they ruined your bike. He's sorry about your bike but you can't put a price on a life," Serena told Misty. Misty sighed. "I suppose that's true. I did tell him to get it help, I just didn't expect him to take my bike to do so…or destroy it." "Well lucky for you then, I can have it replaced," Red interrupted. Misty turned to look at Red. "When we're done here you'll get your bike. You can stick around if you want." Red walked over to introduce himself to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, this is my brother, Red," Ash spoke. Pikachu looked at Red. "Hello Pikachu. Thank you for protecting my brother." Red slowly reached his hand out to Pikachu. Pikachu watched carefully as Red's hand got closer until it finally touched him. Then Red started massaging Pikachu's electric sacks on his cheeks. The little mouse sighed happily. Red showed Ash how to do the massage and then let him take over. "This should help you recharge a bit faster," Red said to Pikachu, who was smiling widely.

"I never knew that part," Ash said. "Me neither," said Serena and Misty simultaneously. "Ash, shouldn't you give Nurse Joy your other two Pokémon so they can heal?" Red spoke aloud, changing the subject. Ash stopped massaging Pikachu, to its disappointment, and grabbed his two other Pokeballs. "Nurse Joy, thank you for healing my Pikachu. Would you please heal my Pidgey and Caterpie as well?" Nurse Joy took the two Pokeballs from Ash. "Of course, Ash. But do try and be more careful in the future. Pokémon Centers can't heal every wound every time," she replied. "I will. Thank you."

Nurse Joy nodded at him then turned and left the recovery room. "Let's leave them be," Red told Serena and Misty as Ash talked with Pikachu. Red went over to the Pokémon transfer station while Serena and Misty sat down at the couches in the foyer. "Who is that guy?" Misty asked Serena. "That's Red, Ash's older brother." "He's…different somehow. I can't figure out what it is." "He projects quiet confidence?" "Well, yeah, but there's something more…" Serena looked Misty in the eyes. "Don't ask about it," Serena warned her.

After a few minutes Red returned and sat down next to Serena. The two trainers began sharing stories about what they'd been doing for the last few months. Misty used her tablet to research the costs and models of new bikes. Eventually Gary came back into the Pokémon Center, without his cheer team or attitude. He quickly and meekly handed over his Pokémon to be healed, then left the Center.

Time passed, and finally Ash came out of the Recovery Room with Pikachu on his shoulder. The two of them looked well and in better spirits. "Pika!" it greeted them all enthusiastically. "Hello again," Red said. Pikachu smiled at him. "Ash, are you hungry?" Red asked his brother. "Starved!" was his response. The group relaxed in this light-hearted atmosphere. "Where are we going?" Serena asked. "The 'Honey Fields' shouldn't be too bad tonight." He said, offering her his hand. "Spoiling yourself already?" she replied, taking his hand and getting pulled up to her feet. "Maybe a little. We could all use some good food right now."

Ash and Serena started walking towards the doors. Red looked to see if Misty was following but she wasn't. She was just watching them, curious. "Come along. Your meal's on me tonight. Then we can get you a new bike," Red told her, offering her his hand. Misty took it, standing up. She joined them as they headed outside.

I know the story is going slower than many of you would like. It's slower than I want it to be right now, but remember that I'm reshuffling the Pokémon Universe as I write this out. There will be excitement and answers to your questions along the way, but I want to make sure that you have a reason to connect with these characters in my version of the story.

Continuing on, I may just write, "Follows anime", and put in my alterations as it goes along. Otherwise well never get to the good parts. I know there are going to be parts that don't match up remotely to the anime or games, deal with it.

Until next time.

Enjoy!


	6. What it Takes to Be a Master

What it takes to be a Master

The group enjoyed the change in scenery as dusk brought out a new appearance to the streets of Viridian City. Neon lights for nighttime establishments had come to life, each one advertising something different. Ash and Misty followed Red and Serena as they walked through the city. Ash would've been more relaxed but Misty was still angry at him, and it showed.

"I'm sorry Misty, I didn't mean to destroy your bike. I just panicked when the Fearow appeared and I wanted to get somewhere safe with Pikachu," Ash said honestly. Said Pokemon couldn't stop twisting around to look at the city, its curiosity and elation evident on its face. "I'm not angry with you for saving your Pokemon, I'm angry because you didn't think of my safety when Fearow reappeared to chase you. What kind of jerk leaves another person behind to save themselves?"

"I didn't even think of that. I pan," "You panicked, yes," Misty interrupted him. "We're here," Serena interjected. The group had arrived outside a restaurant with a large yellow sign displaying, "The Honey Fields." The letters had been designed to look like they were dripping honey. The food selection revolved mostly around honey-based items and various sweets. A hive of Combees resided inside the restaurant along with their Vespiquen, allowing the patrons to receive fresh honey every day. Red opened the door and waited for the others to enter.

The hostess greeted them as they entered. "Hello, and welcome to 'The Honey Fields'. How many people in your party?" she asked. "Four," Serena answered. "And would you like a booth or a corner?" "A corner is fine," Red said. "Okay. If you'll…I'm sorry sir, but other Pokemon aren't allowed in the restaurant outside of their Pokeballs," the hostess said, just noticing the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder. "Pikachu isn't going to cause any trouble," Ash replied, as he and Pikachu looked at each other. "I'm sorry sir, but the rules are," "It's alright, Livia," a voice interrupted. A woman came around from the wall behind the hostess. She had a managers outfit on and a nametag that said "Thea".

"I'm sure Red wouldn't allow a friends' Pokemon to wreak havoc in my establishment, yes?" "Of course not, Thea." Red and Thea shook hands. "How's your mission going, you're still entering the Conference this year?" "Nothing could keep me away," Red stated, smiling at her. "If you need anything tonight, you just let me know, alright?" Red nodded at her. Thea turned around and checked on her other customers. Livia led the group to a corner booth and handed them the menus. Pikachu hopped onto the table next to Ash.

"Your server tonight will be Robert and he'll be along shortly. Enjoy your dinner!" Livia returned to the front. They all perused their menus. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu stared wide-eyed at the selections as they'd never been here before. The number of available treats was making their eyes get cavities. Misty spoke up, "This all looks delicious. Which do I choose?" "Why not all of them?" a voice interrupted.

A man came up to their table. "If you order "The Honey Fields" you'll get one serving from twenty different sweets on our menu. "The Honey-Glazed Fields" has the same amount from our appetizers and meals," the man said as he pointed to an item on Red's menu. Ash and Misty flipped their menus to look for it, Pikachu looked with Ash. "Hello and welcome to "The Honey Fields". My name is Robert and I'll be your server for tonight. Is this your first time here?" Ash and misty nodded. "Second," said Serena. "Fifth," stated Red as he put down his menu. They all looked at him. "In six years, relax."

Robert chuckled. "We do have a natural allure. Can I start you with some drinks?" "Water", "Tea", "Root Beer", "Lemonade, and a Berry Juice for Pikachu," came the responses. "Alright. Now, do you need more time or are you ready to order." "We're ready," Red said as he got nods of approval from around the table.

Serena, Ash, and Misty had each wanted to order "The Honey Fields". They compromised with one order of both Honey options and some extra appetizers. Red ordered a small honey-glazed meal. While they waited for their orders, Ash asked his brother a question that had been bothering him. "Red, you once mentioned to me that there's more to Pokemon battles than type advantages, but Pikachu easily dealt with the Spearows we encountered." Robert returned with their drinks. They thanked him and he went back to his other tables.

Red took a sip of his water before he spoke. "A novice trainer will typically rely entirely on type advantages to get through their fights. Masters know that it's only one variable amongst many that can determine the outcome of a battle. The Fearow that chased you down was hurt by Pikachu's Thunder, but not beaten by it." Red pulled out his tablet and looked for a recording of his battle with Serena from earlier that day. Finding one, he gave the tablet to Ash, and he, Misty, and Pikachu watched it amazed.

"Serena had a type advantage in every battle, but she barely even damaged my Pokemon. Why is that, Serena?" Red asked as he looked at her. "Training. Your Pokemon were more experienced in battle than mine." "True, but that was the smaller part of it. How about you Ash? How did I win?" "They were more powerful." "Again, true, but not the reason my Pokemon won." Red looked at Misty. "What about you Misty, do you know?" Misty shook her head.

"Serena, why didn't the Fearow stay down when Pikachu attacked it?" Red asked. "It could've been one of several reasons: it had higher tolerance for pain, it had suffered attacks like that in the past, its HP or Special Defense could've been much greater…The fact is that Pikachu's Thunder wasn't enough to down it in one hit," she recited. Red nodded. "Power and damage are not the most important factors in battling. They're not the least important either. The truth is a battle is almost always won by the trainer who can turn the most variables in their favor."

"Size, mass, stats, abilities, what moves can they know or copy, species tendencies and habits, counters, the finesse of moving and striking, dodge mechanics, momentum usage, weaknesses, resistances, immunities, strengths, evolutions…These all have their place in a battle. Master that, and you're a better trainer than most who enter the Pokemon League."

Robert came up to them with their food. Red took another drink from his water. "How do you intend to win your fights, Ash? With your most powerful Pokemon only? What happens when it loses from over battling, or loses to another Pokemon? You're left with either no Pokemon, or ones you don't truly know how to battle with. That's careless."

"My best Pokemon will typically train on their own, sometimes outside the ranch. The rest train against each other or travel with me. They compete against themselves daily, and probably have more battle experience than the trained Pokemon they face. Vehemence has easily been in two thousand battles, against trained and wild Pokemon alike, Legendaries included. He rarely loses yet still enjoys every fight."

"A Pokemon Trainer, Ash, has to be willing to lose to if they want to become greater. You view a loss as a learning experience, change because of it, and then move on. And you do this over and over, well past the point when the numbers were important. The battles become natural for you and your Pokemon. If you get knocked off your stride, you find your ground and then launch right back into it again to where you fell out, or even past that."

The five of them started eating. Pikachu was given one item from the appetizer, sweets, and meals, the rest were shared between Ash, Serena, and Misty. Ash took a bite of some honey-glazed ham before speaking. "Sgo," "Don't talk with your mouth full, Ash!" Red interrupted him. Ash swallowed the food in his mouth. "So, all that stuff you said, that's what's need to be a great trainer?" Red and Serena sighed. "He still doesn't understand," Red whispered to Serena.

"Ash, my sister told me that probably the most important thing a trainer needs to know in a battle is how to adapt and think differently. When I battled him today, I failed as a trainer because I couldn't change the fight into my control, and Red responded quickly to every move I made. Red's Pokemon were better than any I've ever faced before, but no training could have prepared me for that. There's no easy route to becoming a Pokemon Master, Ash. You have to learn it as you go, that's part of the challenge, and fun. I know what I have to improve now."

"Then," "Ash, no more questions, just eat. My food's getting cold because I haven't touched it yet," Red interrupted grabbing his fork. Ash saved his question and returned to eating his food with everyone else. Pikachu approached him with his shot glass for berry juice. He pointed at the glass and then at his mouth. "You want some more? Try some of my Lemonade," Ash said as he poured his drink into Pikachu's glass. Pikachu sniffed it before trying a sample. "Pika Pika!" it exclaimed happily as it sat down and drank half the glass.

The rest of the meal passed in silence save for their praise of the food. When they were done Robert came back to find a group of empty plates and smiling faces. "I guess you didn't like it?" "No, it was so bad we ate it all to make sure no one else was forced to consume it," Serena joked with him. Robert and Red chuckled. "I'll pay up front," Red said, preempting Robert's next question. Red got up from the table and followed Robert to the cashier station.

"He knows so much, I feel like a kid in comparison," Ash said out loud. "You are a kid, but the feeling is similar. Six years of traveling with him and I still don't know how he's that good." "You're kidding, right? Six years you've traveled with him but you're not at his level? And you're his brother, how do you not know Red's secret to battling?" Misty accused Ash and Serena.

The two looked each other. "Red hasn't been home much in the last seven years. It was always, "I'm training in Johto. I'm training in Unova. I'm at the Sevii Islands, etctera. He always came home for birthdays and holidays but anything beyond that was completely by chance," Ash admitted. "Red and I met by chance traveling into Hoenn. After we kept bumping into each other over the next few days, we just agreed to travel together. I know he battled someone every day, but beyond that I barely knew what he did. I was always more focused on the sights, people, and Pokemon. I have quite a record of my travels around the world," Serena said as Red returned.

"We're all set. I'll meet you at the doors, I have to go and thank the chefs," Red said as he grabbed his hikers backpack. Red walked to the back of the restaurant where Robert and Thea were waiting for him. The others grabbed their stuff and headed to the front of the building to wait. Red came back carrying a takeout bag and chatting happily with Thea.

"You still keep the food delicious, every time. Don't ever stop," he said walking out the door backwards. "Of course not, Red. Best wishes to you on your journey, we'll be watching you at the Conference," Thea said as the group headed back towards the Pokemon Center. Red waved in acknowledgement. Red grabbed a sweet from inside the takeout bag and ate it while the group walked.

"I thought you were full?" Misty asked. "You never let this food sit too long. Vesper gave it to me fresh." "Vesper?" Ash queried. "The Vespiquen in charge of the hive, she's the one in charge of dispensing honey for the food. She's Thea's Pokemon and they always make their food just right. That's why you compliment the staff," Red said before finishing off the sweet in his hand.

"How do you know them anyways?" Serena asked. "After my championship rounds at the Indigo League Conference I came back into Viridian City on my way back home. I was hungry as I walked along the streets and found myself driven to find a wondrous scent in the air. That's how I found 'The Honey Fields'. After gorging on more sweets than I should've had in one sitting, I met Thea."

"We talked about why I was risking cavities and then she introduced me to Vesper. That's when I learned that you should always thank the staff for a good meal. I went home the next day with some good food to share with my Pokemon. And now my Pokemon will sometimes visit the actual honey fields outside the city in hopes of getting some of their honey."

"I was reminded that battling wasn't the point of being a trainer, the bond you make with your Pokemon is. You befriend your Pokemon, care from them, help them grow, introduce them to their own kind. Play with them, exercise them, give them challenges. You discipline them when necessary and encourage them to be better. I honestly don't see much of a difference between caring for my Pokemon and raising a child."

Red shared his story freely with the group and it lifted their mood even further than the food had. A sudden explosion in front of them at the Pokemon Center shocked them out of their skin. Red and Serena grabbed Ash and Misty and pulled them down into a huddle. "What in the blazes…?!" Serena exclaimed as they all looked at the scene playing out before them.

Five hot air balloons displaying Pokemon faces drifted over the Center. Men and women dressed in black outfits with a red R on the front of their shirts dropped down from ropes in front of the building. "Rocket!" Red and Serena said together. "Those thugs! How is that your life always has this much chaos in it?" Serena blamed Red. "Believe me, I've been asking myself that for 7 years."

One man with a rose in his hand and a woman with long purple hair stood in front of the Pokemon Center with a Meowth between them. "Prepare for trouble!" "And make it double!" "To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all peoples within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" "To extend our reach to the stars above!" The trio made dramatic poses for each statement.

"Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" "Meowth! That's right!"

Ash, Misty, Pikachu, Serena, and Red, could not believe what they were seeing. Finally Red stood up and walked towards the Rocket members grabbing six Pokeballs. "Okay, I'll fight."


	7. Emergency Procedures

Emergency Procedures

"Serena, Ash, get inside and help Joy," Red shouted behind as he approached Team Rocket. The twenty members of Team Rocket turned towards Red's voice.

Understanding what Team Rocket was trying to do, and that Red was going to stall as long as possible, Serena jumped into action. She stood up pulling Ash along with her and the two of them ran into the Pokémon Center. Before going inside, Ash and Pikachu caught one last look at Red and were stunned by what they were seeing: a lone trainer taking on Pokémon thieves of a feared gang. But Red wasn't afraid. If anything, he looked...excited? Angry? Determined, certainly, but there was something else hiding behind that expression. Ash faced the building once more and moved into the smoke.

Team Rocket watched this happen with casual indifference. "Get inside and grab every Pokémon you can, we're out in 10 minutes," James said. Fourteen members went into the building behind Serena and Ash. Jessie, James, Meowth and the four other members remaining outside faced Red.

Misty had pulled out her phone and tried dialing 911 but there was no service. "Red, the cellular is down, I can't call the cops!" "Then run over there and tell them what's happening! Get them here, now!" Misty watched as Red stepped in front of Team Rocket, between them and the Pokémon Center. "Right." 'Like I'm accustomed to doing this every day,' Misty thought as she ran off in the direction of the nearest police station.

"I'm going to give you a fourth chance to leave now," Red spoke aloud to Team Rocket. "Who is this?" Jessie asked. "A twerp who doesn't know to stay out of our way," Meowth said. "What do you mean fourth chance?" James inquired.

"First, you thought up this plan. Second, you actually came here. And the third was when you attacked the Center." Red showed his 6 poke balls as he stopped in front of Team Rocket. "Leave."

"I think he wants to play 'hero'," James said. "Let's make him a zero, instead," Jessie countered. "Better than that, why don't we take his Pokémon?" Meowth offered. "Agreed," Jessie and James said together.

"Your mistake," Red said aloud, tossing his Pokeballs. Out popped a Carnivine, Dustox, Ambipom, Walrein, Pidgeot, and Steelix. "Now I won't let you go."

"Like you could stop us," Jessie said as she and her teammates tossed their own Pokeballs. Out popped their Pokémon: Arbok, Weezing, Cacturne, Mighteyena, Jynx, Hariyama, Skuntank, Electivire, Raticate, and two Golbats.

"Mach Speed, control the flames. Ice Tusk, Miner, Trapper, Poison Gale, Slap Slap, end this quickly!"

"Get them!" James shouted to the Rocket Pokémon. Except for Pidgeot, the assembled Pokémon launched themselves at one another.

Misty heard an explosion come from well behind her. She turned around and witnessed a mob of Pokémon going at each other. 'Red is insane,' Misty thought as she returned to running for the Police Station.

Inside the Pokémon Center, Serena pulled out a flashlight, turned it on and attached it to the front of her outfit. The fire suppression system wasn't working. Through the fires and smoke she could somewhat recognize the shapes of people, Pokémon, and things. "Hello? Nurse Joy?" Joy didn't respond but other voices called out for help. 'We might have to go through them one by one.'

Ash stood beside Serena as he and Pikachu tried to make sense of what was left of the Pokémon Center. Serena pulled out three Pokeballs and activated them. A Furret, Gardevoir, and Empoleon came out. She turned to face Ash. "Furret, find Nurse Joy." Furret took off into the smoke. "Ash, Gardevoir, Empoleon, help me," Serena cut herself off as she saw figures coming through the smoke behind Ash. She quickly moved them all out of the way as Team Rocket came running by, motioning at them to stay silent.

"Get to the Emergency Rooms, Recovery Rooms, and Pokémon Storage first," their leader spoke. "Ted, you and I are going to grab every Pokeball in the lobby. Go!" Team Rocket split apart, the leader and Ted moved into the lobby, missing Serena, Ash, and their Pokémon in the smoke. As they moved past, Serena whispered to Gardevoir.

"Use Psychic to immobilize them and then knock them out." Gardevoir nodded. It faced the two Rocket members before its eyes glowed light blue and the thieves were surrounded with a light blue aura as Gardevoir lifted them up off the ground. They had enough time to look surprised before Gardevoir smacked them back into the floor several times over. When the aura disappeared, Ted and his leader were sprawled out unconscious.

"Now, Ash, Gardevoir, Empoleon, help get all these people and any free Pokémon outside and get them well away from the Center. Pikachu, I want you to stay with me in case the other Rockets come back." Gardevoir and Empoleon nodded at Serena before moving to grab people in the lobby. Gardevoir grabbed several people at once with its Psychic abilities. Ash and Pikachu looked at each other before they nodded in acknowledgement as well. Pikachu jumped over to Serena's shoulders.

Ash grabbed his first person and was following Empoleon to the entrance when a series of explosions went off outside the doors and collapsed the doorway. When his ears stopped ringing, Ash heard what sounded like a warzone coming from beyond the doorway. 'What in the name of sanity is Red doing out there?' Ash thought.

Misty made it to the Police Station only to find that none of the officers were scrambling to leave. "What are you all sitting around for?!" Misty shouted at them. "Why are you bellowing at us, kid?" one of the officers responded. "Team Rocket is attacking the Pokémon Center, you need to get over there!" "What's with the all the yelling?!" cried a female officer walking up from the back of the station.

"The Pokémon Center is under attack by Team Rocket!" "Young lady, we do not appreciate pranks. When the cellular service is restored I'm going to call your parents to come pick you up," the female officer said to Misty. She grabbed Misty and tried to pull her towards a holding room. While Misty was resisting she caught sight of her nametag, "Jenny".

"Dispatch, this is squad car 14. Smoke spotted coming from the Pokémon Center. I'm investigating further, requesting Emergency Services to respond," came a voice over the radios in the station. "Car 14 this is dispatch, acknowledged your last, calling for Fire and Medical," another voice said on the radio. Officer Jenny stopped pulling Misty. "What happened?" she demanded.

"I was walking back to the Pokémon Center and it exploded in front of me. Team Rocket dropped in from hot air balloons and they've already gone inside. Two trainers went inside to help Nurse Joy, and this other trainer, Red, is battling with the rest outside." "How many Rocket members were there?" "Fifteen, twenty maybe? It all happened so fast."

Officer Jenny grabbed her radio and spoke, "Car 14, this is Officer Jenny. Witness reports Team Rocket at the Pokémon Center, estimated at twenty members, exercise caution. Requesting all available units respond to Pokémon Center." A bunch of acknowledgements responded but Jenny wasn't paying attention. She walked over to the dispatch room. "Let Fire and Medical know what's happening, and make sure they wait for our approval before approaching the Pokémon Center."

Several officers rushed from the back of the station towards the squad car lot outside. Jenny faced Misty. "Come with me." Misty followed Jenny to the lot, but instead of a car, Jenny went to a nearby motorcycle with a carriage. The two got in and Jenny took off towards the Pokémon Center.

Words fail to adequately describe the spectacle outside the Pokémon Center. The intensity, the ferocity, the sheer chaos of it all would scare a normal person. But the trainers and their Pokémon weren't normal. Team Rocket was being pushed to keep up with Red; they had numbers on their side but Reds' Pokémon had superior training and teamwork. The Rocket Pokémon were constantly off balance as most of their attacks would get interrupted from other directions. Red's Pokémon were taking every opportunity they could find to throw and smash their opponents into one another and their trainers. 'Come on, Mach. I need you back here,' Red thought to himself.

"Use the side emergency exit!" Serena called to Ash and her Pokémon. They turned around to do so and exited at the far back of the building. Upon exiting the Pokémon Center, Ash and the two Pokémon deposited their injured on the other side of the street next to the PokeMart. Other citizens were showing up to find out what was happening.

Furret came winding through the Pokémon Center to find Serena. "Furret!" it cried, indicating it had found Nurse Joy. "Lead me to her," Serena commanded. Furret led Serena and Pikachu into the offices of the Pokémon Center. Serena heard shouting and explosions from elsewhere in the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy was slumped over in a chair on a desk. Serena checked her over.

"Joy? Nurse Joy can you hear me?" she asked kneeling down next to her. She didn't respond. "Joy! Come on, wake up!" Serena lightly slapped Joy on the face a few times hoping to wake her but it didn't work. "Pikachu, shock her lightly, but not enough to hurt her." Pikachu looked at Serena, astonished at what he was being asked to do.

"She wouldn't mind in this situation, it's alright." Pikachu nodded and hopped up next to Nurse Joy on the desk. Touching his tail against her arm, he released a low amperage shock into Joy. She was roused back into consciousness.

"Ow. Oh my head," she started. "Nurse Joy, can you hear me?" "Of course I can hear you. What happened?" "Team Rocket attacked." "Team Rocket?" "Yes, they're going to steal the Pokémon. How do we start the Pokémon Emergency Transfer System?"

Ash turned to go back inside when he caught sight of Mach Speed hovering above the Pokémon Center. Its wings glowed white before unleashing a Hurricane upon the building, blowing out many fires and clearing some of the smoke. It moved to a new spot and used the move again. Ash, Gardevoir and Empoleon went back inside. Mach Speed continued with its fire control until it couldn't find any more to put out. Finishing its assigned task, it flew back to the front of the building to fight with its trainer.

Joy was more collected now. She rubbed the temples of her forehead. "The PETS should already be underway, I hope." "Don't you need to initiate it?" Joy stood up uneasily as her balance returned.

"No. The Pokémon Center has internal sensors connected to the emergency systems. Upon detecting an emergency, the PETS will automatically start after thirty seconds unless canceled by the management. The Pokémon Storage will go into lockdown and the Pokeballs are sealed behind two-inch steel doors. Rocket is going to have a difficult time getting at my patients, Serena."

Serena was relieved to hear that. "What about the patients in the Emergency Rooms and Recovery Rooms?" Joy started walking slowly as Serena helped her along. Furret and Pikachu followed behind. They turned out of her office and headed towards the Emergency Transfer room. A massive gust of wind blew out the fires and smoke in the hallway. There was another bunch of explosions that came from the direction of the Recovery Room.

"There's your answer," Joy said smiling slightly. Serena was confused. "Our Chanseys underwent an additional training course related to defending the Pokémon Center."

They were about to turn a corner when three members of Team Rocket went running down the hallway to the side of them. They were chased by two Chanseys tossing their eggs at them in a classic use of Egg Bomb. Team Rocket screamed.

Joy led Serena to the Pokémon Emergency Transfer room. Two more Rockets were lying unconscious on the ground outside the doors. Joy used her keycard to open the doors. Serena released two more Pokémon, Krookodile and Conkeldurr. "Guard the entrance." They grunted in acknowledgement and faced the hallway.

Serena and Joy were relieved to see the PETS was well underway. Ten stations were working nonstop to transfer Pokémon to the Pewter City Pokémon Center. Conveyor belts moved the Pokeballs one after another into the stations, all of it under the protective cover of bulletproof glass. Joy activated a computer screen nearby, instantly linking with its counterpart. After a few moments another Nurse Joy appeared on the screen.

"Joy! There you are. What's happened?" "Team Rocket attacked the Center. How many Pokémon have been transferred so far?" "Almost seventy percent according to your inventory." The Joy in Viridian switched her screen to show the transfer log. The names of the Pokémon, their trainer names and IDs, and the type of Pokeball its occupant resided in were displayed. All the transferred ones were listed in faded color, the ones being transferred were in yellow, and the ones yet to be transferred were red.

"What about the Emergency Room and Recovery Room Pokémon, have any of them made it yet?" The Viridian City Joy asked. "Only a few." "We need to find them," she said getting up, but Serena put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I'll find them. You stay here and make sure all the Pokémon get transferred. I'll leave Conkeldurr to guard you."

"Okay. There are eight Pokémon unaccounted for. The Emergency and Recovery rooms have transfer stations inside. Assuming they're not broken, you only need to return the Pokémon to their Pokeball and then place it in the station. The transfer will begin automatically." "Got it."

Serena called out to her Pokémon. "Conkeldurr, you stay here and guard Joy. Krookodile, follow me." The two Pokémon grunted in acknowledgement. Serena headed for the Recovery Room.

Team Rocket was at their wits' end. Red's Pokémon had taken their best efforts and just kept coming back for more. The Ambipom was weaving in and around everything, the Carnivine bent away from attacks, the Steelix wasn't even fazed by any of their attacks, the Walrein was rolling all over the place, and the Pidgeot and Dustox wouldn't stay still long enough for their Pokémon to effectively target them. The easy theft they'd been promised was turning out to be everything but that.

Officer Jenny made record time getting to the Pokémon Center by making use of pedestrian walkways. She was flabbergasted at the war happening in front of the building, having never seen anything like it before. Misty was equally impressed and caught sight of Ash bringing people out of the building from a side exit. "Ash!" she cried out as she and Jenny ran over to him. Ash turned to find who was calling for him. He was relieved to see a familiar face and a police officer.

"Misty? Where were you?! Red needs help!" "She came to get us. As for helping Red…" Jenny trailed off as she looked back at the performance. "It would be impossible for us to focus on any target in the middle of all that. I don't know how Red is doing it. If we step in we could just make things worse." "Well arrest Team Rocket!" Misty scolded her.

"They'd run upon seeing me. One officer can't stop all of them. We're going to have to wait for backup. In the meantime, let's continue getting the injured out of the Pokémon Center." Ash stopped her. "Uh, there's no more injured, we cleared the building out except for Team Rocket." Ash pointed to Gardevoir and Empoleon, Gardevoir was healing the free Pokémon while Empoleon watched the battle.

"I see. What about the Rockets inside?" "There are two lying unconscious in the lobby." "Then I'll start with those while we wait," Jenny said as she headed into the Pokémon Center.

Red's Dustox and Ambipom had been downed but they'd taken the Cacturne, Mightyena, and Skuntank with them. Hariyama and Raticate had been beaten shortly before as well. "Carnivine, Razor Leaf the balloons!" Carnivine looked up at the hot air balloons and launched a multitude of green glowing razor-sharp leaves at them. Carnivine immediately returned to dealing with its opponents. The balloons were punctured instantly and fell into the Pokémon Center, the nearby trees, and on the ground. Jessie and James were angered even further by this.

"I think it's time that we considered leaving," James said. "No way! We're not leaving without our haul!" Jessie retorted. "We're not getting anywhere with this fight, not one comrade has returned, and I'm pretty sure I saw a cop over by the injured. There's nothing to be gained by staying." The two watched as one of the Golbats was hit by the Walrein's Aurora Beam. It was knocked out, making it the sixth Pokémon to fall.

The flashing lights and sirens of approaching police cars ended the debate. "Fine. We'll meet up at the rendezvous like we originally planned." James nodded. "Weezing, Smokescreen!" James shouted. Weezing released thick dark smoke from its body, quickly obscuring the area from view.

Serena made it safely to the Recovery Room. Five Pokémon were lying unconscious in their beds. She grabbed the Pokeball at the first bed and returned it to its Pokeball. Approaching footsteps switched her attention towards the side doors of the room. A Rocket ran inside but was surprised to see Serena there.

"Furret, Quick Attack!" The Rocket grabbed for a Pokeball but Furret slammed into his legs and knocked him over. "Pikachu, Thundershock! Krookodile, Giga Impact!" As the Rocket got back up to his feet, Krookodile rammed into him hard, launching him into the wall. Pikachu shocked him moments later and the thief fell to ground unconscious.

A Chansey came through the same doors that the Rocket guy had. "Chansey?" it queried Serena. "It's okay. I'm helping Nurse Joy to transfer the last of the Pokémon," Serena said as she placed a Pokeball into the transfer station. The Pokeball was immediately transferred to Pokémon Storage.

The Chansey was satisfied with Serena's actions and activated the remaining Pokeballs, returning their occupants. Serena placed each one into the transfer station and then headed to the Emergency Rooms. The Pokémon followed. They repeated the process for the remaining three Pokémon.

Chansey turned to leave but Serena stopped it. "I need you to help me with one last thing. Can you and your buddies grab all the Rocket members you've beaten and bring them to the lobby? I'll return to Nurse Joy and finish up whatever else needs to be done." Chansey nodded at Serena before picking up the Rocket on the floor.

"Krookodile, help the Chanseys." Krookodile nodded before beginning its search. Serena returned to the PETS room. Her Conkeldurr was still guarding the entrance but a third Rocket was lying on the floor in the hallway. "Well done, Conkeldurr." "Conk," it replied, enjoying its praise. Nurse Joy was typing something in the computer.

"The missing Pokémon are accounted for," Serena told Joy. "Yes, I just transferred them to Pewter City with the last batch. I'm locking the system now so they can't be recalled. Joy, I'm finished here. I hope to contact you shortly and get my patients back." "I'll take care of them. Be safe," the Pewter City Joy said. Nurse Joy terminated the connection. She pressed another button and the room went dark.

"We're done here. Let's leave and let the police handle the rest of this," Joy told Serena. "Okay. Grab a Rocket and leave them in the lobby," Serena told Joy. She placed one Rocket on Conkeldurrs shoulders before grabbing another and dragging it to the lobby.

In the lobby they found the Chanseys and Serena's Pokémon waiting with a pile of Rocket members. A huge commotion could be heard coming from outside. Three police officers came inside the building from the emergency exit that Ash and her Pokémon had used.

"What's all this?" Officer Jenny asked. "Hopefully, it's all the Rockets who invaded the Pokémon Center," Serena explained. "Really? That's unexpected. Cuff them and bring the rest outside," Jenny told the other two officers. They pulled out handcuffs and placed them on the Rockets before carrying them outside. The Chanseys and Serena's Pokémon grabbed Rockets and dragged them outside as well. Jenny faced Joy.

"What's the extent of the damage?" Jenny asked. "It seems limited to structural and property. None of the Pokémon were stolen, thanks in part to our friend here," Joy said motioning to Serena. "I see. We'll do a sweep of the building to make sure no more of Rockets are hiding here. You should check on the Pokémon outside." Two more officers entered the building.

"Check the Center, top to bottom. I don't want a single Rocket to escape," Jenny ordered. The officers pulled their weapons and started checking rooms. Nurse Joy and Serena headed outside. They were greeted by a thick smoke coming from the front of the Pokémon Center. Serena joined Ash and Misty to watch the battle. Ash hugged Pikachu, happy to find that his Pokémon was safe.

"Oh no you don't. Miner, Coil up! Mach, Twister the area!" Miner wrapped itself around its allies to shield them from the Twister. Team Rocket had returned their Pokémon and tried to make a break while Smokescreen was in play, but now they were stopped by wall of wind that the Pidgeot had released. The Smokescreen was now contained inside the Twister and prevented anyone from seeing.

"Miner, Iron Tail, wide swing! Knock them into the building walls!" Miners' tail shined as it uncoiled and whipped around the area, roaring loudly when it used the full force of its attack as it turned towards the Pokémon Center. Seven objects went flying through the Twister and impacted into the wall. The police quickly approached Team Rocket and handcuffed all of them. They were all deposited in the police cars.

"Oh my, I just realized why Red always wins his battles," Serena said as the answer hit her like a sack of bricks. "What is it?" Ash asked. Red returned his Pokémon and breathed deeply as he wiped the sweat off his face. "He's a tactician." Recognition dawned on Misty and Ash as they looked at Red with newfound respect.

Officer Jenny approached Red. "How in Arceus's name did you pull that off, Red?! That may have been the best battling I've ever seen," Jenny exclaimed. "You cover for your weaknesses and play to your strengths," Red replied. "Tactics. Flipping tactics, that's how you've pulled off your wins?" Serena interjected into the conversation. Red smiled at her. "So you figured it out. Took you long enough."

"Jenny, a moment please?" Red asked as he walked away from Serena. Serena walked back to Ash and Misty and returned her Pokémon when the last of Team Rocket was handcuffed. Jenny joined Red. He spoke quietly to her, "There's something off about this whole thing. I'm sure you know that I've dealt with Team Rocket in the past, but I know their spy network is impressive for a bunch of thieves."

"Well what are you suggesting, exactly?" "I'm not sure. It's like…these Rockets were set up to fail. Seriously, bombing the Pokémon Center? All that would do…" "Is activate the PETS," Jenny finished as they both understood the likely plan.

"Can you contact them?" "Cellular has been partly restored, I'll make the call," Jenny said as she grabbed her phone. Red returned to Serena, Ash, and Misty. "So, how did all of you fare?" Red asked. One by one they told their stories, impressed with one another's capabilities. Officer Jenny approached the group.

"The Pewter City Pokémon Center was quietly put into lockdown. The police arrived in time to thwart the heist and several more members of Team Rocket were arrested." Nurse Joy came over to them.

"I just heard about what happened. We want to thank all of you on behalf of both Viridian and Pewter City, the police departments, and the Pokémon Centers. You've done more than could be asked of any citizen and this won't be forgotten," Joy said as she and Jenny bowed to them.

"I'd like to think that it's what any kind soul would do," Serena said as the group returned the bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ridiculous amount of arrest forms to fill out," Jenny said before heading back to her motorcycle. Joy faced Ash.

"When the Pokémon are returned tomorrow, I'll have your Pidgey and Caterpie waiting for you." "Thank you Nurse Joy." "You should all get some rest. The 'Silver Lining Hotel' is just down the street. Give them my name and your stay for tonight will be free," Nurse Joy said as she pointed to a towering neon sign in the distance.

"We'll do that. Until tomorrow," Serena thanked her. Joy turned and headed back to her Chanseys. The group began walking towards the hotel. "You should all be proud of yourselves. Tonight…you were heroes," Red told them. He looked at Ash.

"It's like I told you, little brother. Some days will be horrible," Red said as he opened the door for the hotel. "But others can be pretty great."

This chapter was a monster to make, but thank you for reading.

Enjoy!


	8. Cursed

Cursed

"Good Morning Kanto! I'm Al Tarkin with the 6:00 News. Our top story: Last night Team Rocket attacked the Viridian City Pokémon Center and attempted to steal all the transferred Pokémon at the Pewter City Pokémon Center. Both robberies were stopped. These victories were credited to the police departments and interference by local trainers; these trainers have denied sharing their names or commenting on what happened. The Viridian City Pokémon Center is being returned to normal operations and all its Pokémon are being returned by request of their trainers."

Red listened to the rest of the news as he changed into his exercise clothes. His movements were almost unconscious as he performed them for the umpteenth time in his life. Ash was sound asleep in the bed opposite and Pikachu was sleeping on a pillow next to him.

Red waited for the last of the major news to be displayed before he switched off the TV and exited the room, having left a note for Ash explaining where he was in case he woke up. He used the stairs to travel up to the sixteenth floor and entered the fitness center where he began his morning routine as he listened to his music. Midway through his warmup, Serena entered the room dressed in exercise clothes as well.

Neither spoke since their focus was not on conversation. Over the next few minutes other hotel residents showed up. Red and Serena glanced at each other during their routines, mentally checking how each had improved since they'd last exercised together. Red was nearly finished with his regimen when another young man walked in.

He was approaching a treadmill when he caught sight of Serena and quickly changed directions to go talk to her. She noticed him coming but didn't stop her workout. Red pulled an earphone out and kept an eye on this unknown as he changed machines and started his last muscle group.

"Well you're new here," he said smiling at her. "Do you need something?" Serena inquired as she pulled an earphone out when she finished her last repetition. "A phone number would be a good start." She stared him down.

"I'm not interested." Serena switched to a new machine. The man followed her. "Now don't judge me too quickly, you don't even know me." He smiled at her again. "That's the point I'm making. Now go away." Red left his machine and walked over. The other residents were taking notice.

"If I go you'll never know what you're missing." "I'll take that risk," Serena said as she stood up. "Leave the lady alone," Red said to the man. "You aren't part of this conversation, buzz off," the man said annoyed. "There is no conversation, we're done." Serena walked past him, intent on leaving the room to get hotel security but the man grabbed her right arm.

"And if I say otherwise?" There was no smile on his face this time. Red was moving next to the man to pull him off her when Serena reacted.

She turned around, rotating her right arm until his grip was too weak to hold her and broke free of him. She then grabbed his wrist and bent his hand towards his forearm in a gooseneck wristlock while she stepped behind him and kicked the back of his left knee. As he fell down she moved with him to maintain the lock, keeping him in exquisite agony. His face twisted in pain as he yelled.

"Then I'll make you understand the meaning of 'No'!" Serena said into his ear as she knelt behind him, placing her right leg against his back to provide greater leverage. The man tried to get up but Red swept the other leg out from under him and he landed on his rear. Red moved in front of the man as he pulled out his phone and called the front desk.

"This is the Silver," "I need security in the fitness center, there's been an assault." Red interrupted the voice. The man's voice was muffled as he spoke again, "John, Arthur…fitness center, now!" The man on the floor was struggling to get up again, so Red stepped closer and placed a foot on his groin. He stopped moving.

"Security and the management have been alerted and are on their way to you now. Could you tell me what happened please?" the voice on the phone asked. Red finished describing the incident as security and a manager arrived. Serena released the man into their custody.

"Red?! What happened?" "It's nice to see you too, Arthur," Red said to the manager. Serena told Arthur what transpired while Red and the other hotel residents corroborated her story. "I'm terribly sorry for what happened. I would never have let him stay here if I knew about this behavior."

"I believe you and I don't blame you," Serena replied. Arthur gave pulled out his tablet and typed something into it. He pointed at the assaulter. "Dave here is going to jail, the police are on their way. Your breakfast is free this morning, whatever you want, for you and your friends." Arthur left as he and John escorted Dave downstairs.

Red leaned against a machine as he faced Serena. "You took my advice." "I decided that it was better to have it and hopefully not need it. I'm glad I did." Serena replied. "I concur. You turn a lot of heads," Red said as he walked out the doors to go back to his room. Serena followed him to the elevator.

"You didn't finish your workout," Red stated as he pressed the 'Down' button. "Is that why you suggested I take a self-defense class? Because I'm pretty?" "Don't undervalue yourself. And do try to remember that everyone is attractive." "Is that what you think of me?" Red became serious. "Don't make this into something it's not." The elevator chimed as its doors opened. Red stepped inside.

"Red, what is it that you want?" The doors started to close but Serena held them open. "You've wrapped yourself in questions since the day I met you." "Let go of the doors or get in." Serena stepped inside.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about: you won't answer my question." "Be specific when you ask me something," Red said as he continued to watch the doors. Serena grabbed Red's shoulder to turn him towards her, "Will you look at me when I'm talking to you?!"

"Don't do that," Red demanded of her, turning back to face the doors as they opened to their floor. He headed for his room.

"You owe me explanations and straight answers, Red." Serena walked beside him, desperate to convince him to talk to her. "I'm not in the mood." Red stopped at his door and pulled out his keycard. Serena had had enough. She grabbed him forcibly by his right shoulder with her left hand and spun him to face her. She moved to slap him with her right hand but Red's left hand grabbed it. His face showed her his fury, as if it was etched in stone.

Red's gaze was terrifying and Serena wasn't sure what he was going to do next. "Your room, now!" Red commanded her in a low voice. He followed her, putting his keycard away as she pulled out hers. The door had barely closed behind them when Red grabbed both her hands with his and pinned her against the wall, placing his leg in between hers so she couldn't escape him.

"Don't you ever, EVER, try to punish me for making you angry!" "Is that what this is about? You were punished at the Pokémon League?!" Serena accused him, determined to get the truth in spite of his anger. "You only get this angry over one other thing. I know you didn't lose at the Indigo Conference when you were ten." Red was surprised by her claim.

"What are you talking about?" "You lied to me Red! You and your mother! Your stories were the same, word for word, when I asked her about this two months ago." Serena had given Delia her number three years ago in case she needed to contact Red but couldn't reach him. Red let go of Serena and she stepped away from the wall.

"I want to know why both of you lied about it, why you immediately change the subject when the League or its new rules are mentioned. I want to know why you exist in a state of contained rage. I want to know why you are obsessed with this years' Conference! I want the truth!" Serena took deep breaths after finishing her tirade.

"You don't get to choose which secrets someone keeps, Serena. There are plenty of times that the truth will do more harm than good. And if we're going to talk of truths, why don't you start with why you said no to me last year? I only have theories about your refusal."

The two trainers stared each other down.

"I wasn't ready for it. Neither of us were despite what we believed. Someone had to say no, and you weren't going to if I didn't. More than that you scared me Red, you still do, and with all your secrets how could I ever trust you, even now?"

Red's fury softened. "Have I ever let you down? Or given you reason not to trust me before?" "You won't tell me the truth, that's all I need. It's not about the past, this is about now and the future."

The two stood their ground for what felt like an eternity before Red stepped back. He sat down on the bed and massaged his scalp, trying to release some of the tension in his body.

"You don't want to know the answer Serena. You absolutely don't." Red looked back at her, and for what may have been the first time ever, she saw that he was sad, genuinely so. "And I don't want to hurt you, but I will inevitably," he said softly. "What are you talking about?"

"I did lose at the League. I lost my joy, some of my compassion, my ability to trust people on their word only. But worse than all that, I lost a war I didn't even know I was waging." Serena sat down next to him.

"Seven years of malice inside me; we're lucky I manage to stay as calm as I do." "Why do you think you're going to hurt me?" "Because you have a personal attachment to what happened."

"This year's Conference is the only way I can ensure that justice is brought to those who wronged me. When that happens, I don't know if we'll be friends anymore." "You have to let go of this anger, Red, it's consuming you. Your mother told me how you spoke to her two days ago." He turned away from her.

"Your obsession is already hurting people who don't deserve your anger." "If that's what it takes to finish this war, I don't care." "I do! And as your friend I'm not going to sit back and let you lose who you are for whatever this is."

Serena spoke softly to Red as she held his hand. "I want my friend back. The young man I cared for, and who cared about me too. I'm the only one asking, don't shut me out. Let me help." Red didn't speak for a while. When he did, the same person she'd met walking into Viridian City was back.

"You can't. Not until this is over." He stood up. "Red," "No, no more, you'll find out at the Conference. The world will learn the truth and I may finally be able to let go." He left the room, and somehow, Serena felt emptier inside.

When Red returned to his room Ash was getting dressed. Pikachu greeted him cheerfully. "How was your workout?" "Challenging." Red grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the shower.

The three of them headed downstairs for breakfast to find Misty already eating. They grabbed their food from the buffet and started eating as well. Pikachu sat on the table and would grab food from Ash's plate every so often while he enjoyed some orange juice. Serena joined them a few minutes later but was being distant with Red. Ash and Misty picked up on the subtle vibe that Red and Serena shared.

"What's up with you two?" Misty questioned. The two glanced at each other but said nothing.

"Red?" Ash prodded. "There was an incident this morning in the fitness center," Serena offered. "An incident? Is your family always causing trouble?" Misty asked. "Red is cursed that way, but I was the source this time," Serena replied.

"Okay, what happened?" Ash asked. Red got up and went back to the buffet for a second helping. He seemed to be lingering there longer than he needed to.

"Jerk," Serena spoke out loud to no one in particular. Ash and Misty were thoroughly intrigued by their behavior. Serena relented.

"A man with no manners and bad parenting made a pass at me and then laid his hands on me. I had to…dissuade him with pain until hotel security arrived to take control." "Oh. Then why are you and Red…?" Ash left the question open for a response but Serena said nothing. Red sat down as Ash asked.

"We had a disagreement regarding me." Red started eating again. Serena stood up and went for another plate of food. Pikachu was totally confused as it watched this conversation unfold.

Serena sat down again but neither her nor Red said anything more despite Ash and Misty's prompting. Arthur approached their table.

"How are you doing? Do you need anything else?" "Will you relax, Arthur? We're not going to file a complaint or negative review over the idiocy of someone and something beyond your control," Red said. "Still, I," "Arthur, enough. Just have us ready to check out when we finish eating," Serena interrupted.

"Very well. Enjoy your breakfast." Arthur returned to the front desk. The rest of their meal passed in silence. Serena and Red continued to ignore each other. When they finished their breakfast they went to the front desk.

"Your bill has been handled by the Viridian City Pokémon Center. Are you sure," "Arthur!" Red interjected quickly. Arthur sighed. "Again, I apologize for what you were subjected to. I hope you have a great day and a pleasant journey."

"Thank you, so do I," Serena said glaring at Red as she moved to the hotel entrance with Misty.

"Red, I look forward to your appearance at the League this year. Safe travels and good luck to you," Arthur added before returning to his duties.

"How does everyone know you?" Ash inquired. "I get around," Red answered vaguely. "Right. To the Pokémon Center!" Ash said as his jovial mood returned.


End file.
